Learning to Trust
by AldabaranFox
Summary: Now an official Master-Padawan team, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are off on their fist mission. Qui-Gon doubts their readiness whilst Obi-Wan is desperate to prove himself. Secret plots, darkness and deceit loom ahead... 2nd story in "Ways of the Force"
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! My second Star Wars story here! Yay! Still Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan centric. Follows on from my last story but you don't have to read that to understand. Please do though if you haven't already :)**

**Spoilers: The whole of the JA series…this is AU I believe.**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own Star Wars or any of the characters. Sadly. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 1- First Mission**

_Jedi Temple- Coruscant_

The darkness around him was absolute; no light penetrated the solid blackness. A single bead of sweat slipped down his temple. There was no effort made to remove it. Any movement, any sound, however slight; the rustle of clothing or softest breath, would be heard and identified. His position then compromised. That was unaffordable. However, restlessness was bubbling beneath the surface, waiting was proving fruitless. Ever so slowly, he shifted his weight to his right foot, raising his lightsaber in front of him.

A small whistle of air was Obi-Wan's only warning as another blade slammed into his own with a static hiss and buzz, a painful jolt shooting up his arm. Using the momentum of his forward body, he swung his lightsaber, pushing his attacker back, slicing in an upward arc from his left boot to right shoulder, warding away the other's 'saber; his opponent had no option but to retreat. His assailant had quick feet and an even quicker lightsaber, which sang through the air to entangle with his own again, the blades engaging in frantic motion, hissing and cracking.

Sweat now beaded his brow.

Nimbly, Obi-Wan took a leap backwards and then another, losing ground but amassing for his final attack. His sword above his head he charged swiftly at his aggressor, only to suddenly halt. The enemy had moved.

He stood very still, ears straining to pick up the quietest whisper the inky void around him. He threw out a sweep with the Force, feeling his way around the room using the information he could gather. It may be black but he could sense the objects littered around the room and skirted them carefully. There was nothing ahead.

Suddenly, his senses screamed too late; as he sensed the other lightsaber whirling towards him out of the blackness. He threw himself backwards with a hair's breadth to spare and blocked another attack, his arm feeling the force of the blow.

Something swiped near his head and Obi-Wan ducked, barely, feeling the air sweep across the top of his head. Ducking would be his undoing; he felt something collide with the back of his knees, forcing him to the floor. His lightsaber was struck from his hands and he felt the warmth from the tip of his opponent's lightsaber near his throat.

He had lost. It was over.

There was a hiss-snap noise by his ear and he heard the rush as his opponent's lightsaber was deactivated. He waited.

"Remove your blindfold Obi-Wan," a voice said from above his head.

Nodding, Obi-Wan reached up and untied the knots holding the black cloth over his eyes, blinking in the light as it fell away and he was hit by the brightness of the room after being in the dark for so long.

He was in one of the training rooms: scattered about were all sorts of obstacles to avoid- made even more difficult by the fact that he had been wearing a blindfold. Obi-Wan raised a cream sleeved arm to wipe the sweat that had beaded on his brow and ran a hand through his closely cropped, Padawan haircut, exhaling deeply as he caught his breath.

He glanced up and saw his master, Qui-Gon Jinn standing to his left, lightsaber now clipped to his belt. His master barely looked as though he had broken a sweat. Obi-Wan did not know whether to feel envious or awed.

Obi-Wan had officially been Qui-Gon's Padawan for close to two weeks now- it had been two weeks since the fateful Sony-Da incident. Since then, Obi-Wan's life had turned into a whirlwind of activity. First there had been the official ceremony, then moving his meagre belongings from the crèche to new joint quarters he would now share with Qui-Gon. He had been signed up for new classes and his whole schedule changed- now including training with his Master.

Obi-Wan had never felt so excited yet nervous in his life. Above all he was determined to show Qui-Gon that he could be the best Padawan he could ever wish for. He pushed himself in every training session, every class, every problem. He could feel himself strengthening with Qui-Gon's tutelage and it had only been two weeks!

Qui-Gon watched as Obi-Wan stood collecting his lightsaber which he had sent skittering across the floor. He watched as the boy turned to face him, face alight with an enthusiasm Qui-Gon did not usually see on youngsters' faces when faced with long sparring sessions. That was what was different about Obi-Wan. He was impressed by the boy's determination to succeed.

"Next time remember to stay closely in tune with the Living Force, it'll be easier to sense your opponent," Qui-Gon began to advise, as he went through the match's highlights.

Obi-Wan nodded attentively, absorbing Qui-Gon's feedback like a sponge. However, this morning he was slightly preoccupied. Bant's birthday was coming up and he had yet to get her a present. He nibbled on his bottom lip.

"Obi-Wan are you distracted by something?" Qui-Gon suddenly put forward the question.

Obi-Wan blinked. "I'm sorry Master," he apologised quickly. What would Qui-Gon think of him? Not paying attention like that? "I was…I was just remembering that I've not got Bant a birthday present yet and her birthday is tomorrow," he trailed off, looking at his boots. Qui-Gon would most likely be very disappointed. He bit his lip.

Qui-Gon nodded. He had studied the boy throughout their sparring match and had seen Obi-Wan falter on several occasions, as though something had suddenly sprang into his mind and indecision had struck. Qui-Gon had quickly been able to push his advantage but had waited to see how Obi-Wan would react through his mistakes.

"I see," Qui-Gon said at last. "At least you were not thinking about breakfast this time," he raised an eyebrow, watching as Obi-Wan's cheeks reddened at this. The first few sessions when they had begun their ritual morning spar, Obi-Wan's stomach had rumbled extensively.

"Yes Master," Obi-Wan smiled slightly, hand absentmindedly falling to his stomach.

"Just remember, the here and now," Qui-Gon reiterated one of his most used sayings, before glancing at his chrono, eyes widening at the time. He was usually a stickler for strict time keeping but he was surprised that their morning session had overrun. "Obi-Wan, head back to our quarters and change- it's almost time for your first class. I have a meeting," he instructed his Padawan, picking up his cloak.

Obi-Wan nodded briefly, before bowing and then bidding his master goodbye, picking up one of the towels he had brought to the training hall. The door hissed open and he stepped through into the corridor, heading back to the quarters he shared with Qui-Gon. As he passed the tall windows he glimpsed outside at the waking world below.

This training hall happened to be high up in the temple, and the corridor it was situated on boasted amazing views of Coruscant spread out in sprawling spontaneity into the distance. Through gaps in the enormous sky scrapers Obi-Wan noticed that the sun was only just rising properly into the sky. That was one thing Qui-Gon had introduced: early morning training sessions before their sparring sessions. Obi-Wan would train, and then head back alone and change, eat a quick breakfast before heading off to his first lesson. Qui-Gon would sometimes join him for breakfast, though usually he had a meeting to attend.

Arriving at their quarters, Obi-Wan showered and changed as per usual, grabbing something to eat from the small kitchen, walking into the living room between the two bedrooms that made up their quarters along with a 'fresher. The quarters were neat and tidy, just how Qui-Gon liked it. Obi-Wan's room however was often in need of remedial tidying.

He fiddled with his Padawan braid, twirling it between his fingers as he ate one of the pieces of fruit. His fingers tightened around it. Sometimes he felt as though it would simply disappear, as though the last two weeks had been some sort of cruel dream. Every morning he woke up and it was still there.

Having finished his quick breakfast, Obi-Wan grabbed his bag and left their quarters, the door hissing shut behind him. He glanced at his chrono- he had plenty of time.

* * *

"Qui-Gon!"

Qui-Gon turned to hear someone calling his name. He already knew who it was; Council Member Mace Windu was hurrying towards him. No, hurrying was the wrong word. Striding towards him- in a controlled fashion. Mace was on the Council, he had to uphold some form of dignity.

"Good morning Mace," Qui-Gon greeted his friend pleasantly enough as they fell into step together.

"Finished sparring with Obi-Wan?" Mace asked as they walked through the corridors of the Temple. More Jedi were now awake, few had been up when Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan had risen to start sparring.

"Yes. He's headed back to our quarters before his lessons start," Qui-Gon said, side-stepping a knight who was hurrying past in the opposite direction, brown robe flapping.

"Everything going well?" Mace raised an eyebrow. He knew how after Qui-Gon had accepted Obi-Wan the doubts that had suddenly sprung in the Master's mind. The enormity of the task apparent after asking Obi-Wan to be his Padawan had been daunting.

"Everything is fine, Obi-Wan is training well and our bond is strong already," Qui-Gon said, eyeing the quirk of Mace's lips. He knew what his friend was thinking without any help from the Force.

"That's great," Mace smiled, "Then I can advise the Council that you are both ready for a mission. One has come up and there is currently a shortage of Jedi available to take it up," he began.

Qui-Gon paused. "A mission?" He had only been with Obi-Wan for two weeks? Was Obi-Wan ready for such a task?

Mace nodded, turning to look back at Qui-Gon, "Yes, simple overseeing of a planet's routine elections. Nothing too strenuous for you of course, should be a straightforward 2 day visit. Give Obi-Wan some experience of life outside the Temple. Obi-Wan looks ready- I've seen him training."

Qui-Gon started to walk again, catching up with Mace. "Obi-Wan has improved within the last two weeks," he acknowledged.

"That's fine then, I'll inform the Council," Mace said brightly. "You've become too familiar with the Temple Qui-Gon- it's not usual for you to stay here this long!"

Qui-Gon raised an eyebrow. "Are you trying to get rid of me Mace?" he grinned.

Mace laughed.

* * *

Bant looked up upon hearing her voice being called. She recognised the voice too and stood up to greet Obi-Wan as he nearly barrelled into her. She had been sitting in one of the smaller meditation gardens.

"Obi-Wan? What's the matter?" she asked, taking in his excited look, which Obi-Wan struggled to contain as he spotted that Bant was not alone in the gardens. He reined in his emotions strongly, realising his Force essence was blasting his feelings and emotions across the gardens.

"Bant! My master and I are being sent on a mission!" Obi-Wan grinned at her, unable to stop the animation in his voice. He had met with Qui-Gon shortly after lunch and had been informed of their new mission. He had barely been able to stomach lunch.

Bant smiled warmly. "Already? You've only been together two weeks," she said surprised, but glad that her friend was so happy. After all that had happened, Obi-Wan thoroughly deserved this new found happiness.

Obi-Wan hugged her briefly. "I hope I don't let Qui-Gon down," he said suddenly faltering, grin fading. "And I'm going to miss your birthday," he realised.

Bant raised an eyebrow, "First, my birthday is not as important as you going on your first mission. And secondly- let him down? Of course you won't Obi. It'll be fine," she soothed, well used to the nerves and insecurities Obi-Wan sometimes harboured. "Qui-Gon should be proud of you- as I am."

A smile soon found its way back onto Obi-Wan's face, "Thanks," he said sincerely, knowing that his best friend meant it.

"When do you leave?" Bant asked.

Obi-Wan checked his chrono. "Qui-Gon told me to meet him in the hanger in twenty minutes," he said. "I need to get my bag- but I thought I'd say goodbye to you first," he smiled.

Bant cuffed his head lightly. "Obi-Wan focus on the task- get your bag first," she chided knowingly.

"That's what Qui-Gon keeps telling me to do," Obi-Wan laughed.

"Well, he can't be wrong then if I agree with him!" Bant teased. "Go, I'll see you when you come back. You must tell me everything!" she said, giving him a small push in the back.

"I will," Obi-Wan promised. "I'll see you when I get back," he said, waving to her. He smiled as she waved back, before motioning for him to hurry and leave.

* * *

Qui-Gon watched as Obi-Wan approached him, walking through the Temple hanger, bag slung over his shoulder, an aura of calm surrounding the young boy. Outwardly, Obi-Wan looked the perfect apprentice, calm and in control. Qui-Gon felt his lips twitch in a small smile. Inwardly, he could sense the emotions bubbling around in his Padawan, ranging from excitement to nerves.

Mace Windu had arrived to see them off. Obi-Wan bowed politely before the councillor who greeted him cordially, offering a smile. Obi-Wan stood nervously by Qui-Gon's side as the Temple mechanics began removing the fuel pump from their ship.

"May the Force be with you Padawan Kenobi," Mace intoned the usual phrase still smiling.

"And with you Master Mace," Obi-Wan nodded, Qui-Gon looking on, straight faced as normal. Obi-Wan found it very difficult to read his Master at times. The last two weeks he had closely studied the man his Master was, looking for the signs that heralded he was pleased, irritated or in a good mood. So far he had picked up very few.

"Come Obi-Wan, the ship is ready," was all that Qui-Gon said, touching Obi-Wan's shoulder, which barely reached his mid chest level, steering his apprentice in the direction of their ship. The young boy nodded and after bowing to Mace, stepped onto the ramp of their ship, disappearing from sight as he walked up into the ship. The Master turned to Mace.

"See you in a few days then," Qui-Gon said, shouldering his own bag which had been at his feet.

Mace smiled, "It'll be fine. Obi-Wan will see you doing what you do best and have an even greater impression of you," he teased.

Qui-Gon refrained from rolling his eyes. "He should be focusing on the job in hand," he shook his head. "See you when we get back," Qui-Gon repeated, "May the Force be with you."

"You too Qui-Gon," Mace said, watching as his friend moved away towards the ramp, lightsaber swinging at his side, brown cape billowing about his ankles, looking very part the Jedi Master he was.

Mace continued to watch until the ramp retracted with a hiss behind Qui-Gon, hiding his friend as the ship's engines began to fire up. Turning away he left the hanger, own robe fluttering around his ankles.

Walking into the ship, Qui-Gon looked around at their transport. It was standard, nothing extreme, perfectly suitable for Jedi. He heard the ramp hissing shut behind him as saw Obi-Wan waiting ahead for him, glancing around. Straight ahead was the cockpit, the door open, through which Obi-Wan could see their pilot making the final adjustments.

"Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon's voice brought Obi-Wan back to the present in a jolt. He looked up at his master.

"Here is a datapad with information about Malrion and the upcoming elections," Qui-Gon said, handing him the item. "It would be prudent to know what is awaiting us," he said.

Obi-Wan took the datapad. "I'll be in our quarters," he said. "How long will it be until we arrive?"

Qui-Gon quirked an eyebrow: he hoped this would be the only time the question would be asked. Obi-Wan seemed to get the implication and tried to smother a smile. "Just under a day Obi-Wan," his Master informed him. "I will be with the pilot if you need anything."

Obi-Wan nodded. He watched as Qui-Gon turned away, walking confidently towards the cockpit and quietly greeting the pilot in his low voice, before seating himself in the chair beside the pilot's scanning the console.

Turning, Obi-Wan shifted the heavy datapad and walked along the corridor to the small room that was to be their quarters. Settling his bag down on his bed, he sat down in the only chair in the room and flipped open the datapad, accessing the file and briefly scanning over the contents. It looked for a long and if he was honest, slightly dull reading. Malrion was the planet they were heading to. It was an average sized planet, four major landmasses and plenty of fresh water, predominantly inhabited by humans. There were two moons, Filarn and Filil. Only Filil was habitable.

Obi-Wan felt the ship thrumming beneath him as it rose. He could almost envision it gliding low to the ground through the hanger before taking off into the busy Coruscant traffic before it would leave the planet's atmosphere and head out to the stars beyond. His first proper mission.

* * *

Obi-Wan glanced at his chrono, they had been flying for nearly four hours and his eyes were beginning to tire of reading the small print on the datapad. He pushed it off his lap onto the small lower bunk and stretched his legs out in front of him. He had heard stories of planets which were days if not weeks awake from Coruscant. And here he was bored and stiff after only four hours!

He sighed, running a hand through his hair again, catching his braid out of habit. Qui-Gon was right that he needed to focus more. It was an important lesson he was struggling to learn. Keeping his mind on the here and now as Qui-Gon often said.

A sudden chill ran up his spine and Obi-Wan shivered. For a moment he could have sworn he felt…something. A presence. A feeling. Something that he couldn't quite pinpoint. Standing, he moved around the room, seeing if he could pinpoint the source. When a search of the room turned up nothing out the ordinary, Obi-Wan sat down again. Perhaps it was his mind being hyperactive as it usually was, trying to think of everything at once. Then again…it had felt…evil…

In the cockpit, Qui-Gon watched the comforting view of stars flying past through the window. The console in front of him blinked as he checked over it, lights flickering as the pilot beside him swivelled in his chair to reach something behind him.

The Jedi Master smiled to himself. Gently tapping into the bond he was beginning to construct with Obi-Wan he was pleased to learn the boy had taken his words to heart and was reading the datapad. He could also sense the slight boredom flickering beneath the surface, along with the tapered excitement and nerves. That was to be expected he guessed. He had felt the same way before his first mission.

Pulling away from the bond, Qui-Gon felt something through the Force, like a sharp jab to the ribs. A fleeting warning echoing through the Force. Sitting up straight, alert instantly, Qui-Gon sifted through the Force, searching for the origin of the disturbance.

Suddenly the whole ship lurched with a huge jolt and great groaning of metal, throwing Qui-Gon and the pilot forwards in their seats. The star field disappeared as the ship fell out of hyperspace, the inky blackness of space solidifying. The console lit up in a blaze of lights as a warning alarms began wailing in the small space of the cockpit, gas hissing in a leak behind the pilot's head.

"What is it?" Qui-Gon demanded, as the pilot's fingers flew over the controls of his ship. The Force was screaming around him. He glanced at the ship's console. Half the systems were down.

"We've got a major hull breach!" the pilot said worriedly, sparing a glance at Qui-Gon before frantically accessing the control panel. "In the rear quarters! Life support systems failing, hull integrity dropping!"

Qui-Gon felt his heart clench.

The rear quarters.

That was where Obi-Wan was.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed! Haven't written any Star Wars for a while! Will post the next chapter in two or three days :) As I have officially finished high school forever- I have plenty of time to devote to writing. Deserve it too after revising for the last month and a half – doing little else!**

**Thanks for reading :) **


	2. Chapter 2

**My gosh I was stunned by the support for the first chapter :D thank you everyone- particularly MasterAmidala14 and Valairy Scot because I can't thank you using PMs! Thank you everyone who read, alerted, reviewed :D **

**Oh and this / talk / means Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are talking through their bond. Just so you know. Which you probably do already.**

**The first chapter was pretty easy to write- this one was more of a nightmare…it wouldn't sit right and annoyed me. I hope it's good enough! **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 2- Complications**

_Last time_

"What is it?" Qui-Gon demanded, as the pilot's fingers flew over the controls of his ship. The Force was screaming around him. He glanced at the ship's console. Half the systems were down.

"We've got a major hull breach!" the pilot said worriedly, sparing a glance at Qui-Gon before frantically accessing the control panel. "In the rear quarters! Life support systems failing, hull integrity dropping!"

Qui-Gon felt his heart clench.

The rear quarters.

That was where Obi-Wan was.

* * *

_Somewhere in space…_

After the sudden explosion that had created the hull breach, the ship was now floating dead in space, life support desperately trying to keep its passengers alive.

"Check for life signs," Qui-Gon ordered, raising his voice above the shrill alarms that were blaring in the cockpit. He would have felt it, surely. Obi-Wan's death. Obi-Wan wasn't dead, couldn't possibly be dead. There was so much potential, so much light, so much to give…

Then it hit Qui-Gon and he could have groaned in frustration. Drawing in on himself, he focused, pulling his scattered thoughts together, ignoring the wailing alarms. The mental link, connecting him to Obi-Wan was still there, in the back of his mind. Qui-Gon felt his body relax a fraction.

_/Obi-Wan? Obi-Wan are you there?/_

"Systems aren't responding Master Jedi!" the pilot sounded frantic as he tapped commands into his console. "I'm not even picking up our signals! Re-routing power!" Sparks intermittently exploded from the controls, showering both men.

/M_aster!/_

Qui-Gon felt the reply echo through his mind and gripped the back of the pilot's chair in relief. Obi-Wan was still there. Alive.

The ship jolted violently again as they felt a second explosion tear through the ship and the two men lurched forward over the controls as the ship was blasted forward. Bits of debris were floating past the cockpit's window, chunks of twisted metal.

"I need to seal off that part of the ship now or the whole ship is lost!" The pilot yelled to Qui-Gon, glancing back at the Jedi. The pilot looked terrified.

"Wait, my Padawan's there- I need to get him," Qui-Gon said urgently, putting a hand on the pilot's shoulder. "I will close it manually after I find him," he said. He needed to get to Obi-Wan quickly. There was no telling yet if there was anything wrong with the boy.

The pilot looked set to argue but one look from the Jedi silenced him and he nodded. "Hurry- I'll see what I can do from here," he said, turning back to his controls.

Opening the doors to the cockpit, Qui-Gon was immediately assaulted by the squealing of air leaving the ship, rushing out towards the breach; it whistled past his ears, tugging at his hair as he slowly made his way through the damaged ship. The cockpit doors hissed shut behind him.

The hull creaked around Qui-Gon, groaning and protesting, already trying to implode in on itself, the metal resisting only for so long. It was a struggle to keep upright, but through pure strength and will and a little help from the Force, Qui-Gon managed.

Where was Obi-Wan? He couldn't still be in their quarters could he- he would have been sucked out into the vacuum of space. Qui-Gon shivered. But he had been in there. Reading the data on Malrion Qui-Gon had given him. Qui-Gon breathed out deeply, barely watching as his breath stole away from him.

Carefully, Qui-Gon inched his way down the corridor, fighting the pulling motion of the vacuum of space trying to suck the air out of the ship. One wrong step and he would be thrown off of his feet, straight towards the breach. Breathable air was thinning he noticed as his breath hitched in his chest.

_/Obi-Wan?/ _Qui-Gon tried again. /_ Where are you? Are you hurt? / _

The reply was quicker this time. _/Master- I'm fine. I'm just outside…well what used to be our quarters / _

Qui-Gon felt the reply in his mind and latched onto it. Obi-Wan did not seem harmed if the wry comment was anything to go by. Still walking carefully, he continued forwards, mindful of the sparks that rained down every time the ship quivered.

"Master!"

This time Qui-Gon heard the anxious shout, rather than the mental voice. In the darkness of the ship, above the screeching of metal and hissing of escaping air, he saw Obi-Wan grimly hanging onto one of the bulkheads as he resisted the relentless tugging of escaping air. His slight body had a more difficult time of staying upright. He was also just beyond the doors that would slam shut and seal the breach. Behind Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon could see the devastation that had been wrought on the ship- there was a gaping, jagged hole in the ship, about ten metres behind Obi-Wan- right where their quarters had been. Qui-Gon could see inky blackness through it.

/_Obi-Wan, you have to move this way /_ Qui-Gon instructed, scanning the area quickly. The metal behind Obi-Wan was already beginning to crumple. /_Then we can seal the breach / _Communicating mentally meant less breathing air was wasted.

Obi-Wan nodded slowly. Still gripping tightly to the bulkhead, he began to inch his way around it. Qui-Gon could see the strain- Obi-Wan was much closer to the breach than he was; the strength of the sucking vacuum had more of an effect. Qui-Gon could feel the Force, sweeping around Obi-Wan, lending him strength and he added his own strength to his Padawan's, willing him to come closer. If he himself got any closer to the breach, it was unlikely that he would be able to crawl back.

The boy was barely a few metres from Qui-Gon when the Master felt the Force scream a warning. Just in time he flattened himself against the wall of the ship whilst yelling "Duck!" to Obi-Wan.

Qui-Gon watched as Obi-Wan's eyes widened. The relentless tugging of space had freed a metal compartment from its place on the wall by the entrance to the cockpit and it was smashing its way down the passage, colliding and ricocheting off the walls, chrome coating gleaming in the intermittent light that flashed through the ship.

Obi-Wan saw it and with a last ditch effort, threw himself forward, underneath the box as it crashed into the bulkhead just where Obi-Wan would have been standing mere seconds ago. Letting go of the bulkhead had been the only option and Obi-Wan could feel the escaping air latching onto his body, like a rope, yanking him backwards as he scrabbled to grab hold of something.

Qui-Gon lurched forward, grabbing hold of Obi-Wan's wrist as the Padawan began to slide backwards along the floor. Pulling strongly, Qui-Gon brought Obi-Wan back to his feet, throwing both of themselves against the bulkhead, on the right side of the doors. Keeping a firm hold on Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon opened the control panel with his spare hand, bringing the Force quickly to bear on the manual override.

With a sharp hiss, the blast doors slid shut, the wailing noise of escaping air dying down as they slammed shut with a dull thud. The only noise apart from the now muted groaning of metal was Obi-Wan's gasps as he struggled to control his breathing, sinking back to the floor, legs quivering, energy spent.

The breach now sealed off behind the metre thick blast doors, Qui-Gon took a deep breath, centralising himself. Things were back under control. Not perfect control, but the ship could now be repaired until they could land somewhere and get proper repairs. He glanced down at his Padawan, who still looked slightly shell shocked.

"Obi-Wan?" the Master queried.

Obi-Wan glanced up at his Master. He could still feel his pulse hammering in his chest. For a moment there…he shook those thoughts from his mind. It would not do to dwell on the past.

"Are your missions always like this Master?" Obi-Wan managed, a smile tugging at his lips.

Qui-Gon helped his apprentice to his feet. "Not always," he replied as evenly as possible, despite the situation unable to stop a small quirking smile at Obi-Wan's comment. "Not always."

* * *

A few minutes later, when Obi-wan had regained his breath and strength, Qui-Gon asked him for his view on the explosions, seriousness seeping back into the conversation after the relief.

"I'm not sure Master. I was sitting reading the datapad when I felt…something," Obi-Wan glanced at Qui-Gon who nodded. "I had a look around but couldn't find anything. Then the Force was screaming that I get out- I barely got passed the doors to our quarters before the explosion tore through the room. The doors were ripped right off," Obi-Wan explained. "But my bag, comm. link, the datapad- they're all gone." His hand fell to his lightsaber inside the folds of his cloak. Thank goodness he hadn't taken it off.

"That doesn't matter Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon reassured him. It only mattered that Obi-Wan was alive. Qui-Gon sighed inwardly. This was meant to be a simple mission. Already a near catastrophe and they weren't even at the planet. Mace was going to get an earful.

Obi-Wan studied his Master. Qui-Gon looked grave. Obi-Wan wondered whether it had anything to do with him. Maybe if he had listened to the Force harder, concentrated more, he would have been able to do something.

"The here and now Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon reminded his Padawan.

Obi-Wan looked slightly abashed and stared at his boots. He was broadcasting his thoughts again. When he had been an initiate that hadn't mattered, he and his age mates were not perceptive enough to pick up on each others thoughts. Now he was constantly in the presence of a Master, who was able not just to pick up his thoughts with ease but read him like an open book.

"Yes Master," Obi-Wan replied softly.

Qui-Gon watched his Padawan carefully. Two weeks together and they were still learning. They would probably still be learning for years to come. Two weeks and they were expected to go on a mission together. Surely there could have been some other pair. He needed to know Obi-Wan's strengths, learn to depend on the boy; the boy needed to learn to depend on him also.

He sighed. "Let's return to the cockpit, see what the pilot has to say," Qui-Gon suggested. Obi-Wan nodded and followed the Jedi Master back towards the cockpit. As they entered they found the pilot was already underneath his console, hyper-spanner already at work.

The pilot slid out from beneath the console as the two Jedi entered, a grim smile on his face. "You shut the breach just in time," he congratulated the Jedi Master who nodded smoothly. "Another minute and…" the humanoid pilot let the sentence hang.

"How badly damaged is the ship?" Qui-Gon asked.

"Several systems are down," the pilot said gloomily. "It could take a while to get them back online. Life support is holding though and the engines are responding, though the hyperdrive is down," he added. "I need to go down into the main systems to have a better look."

"I would like to have a look too," Qui-Gon said. He knew a fair bit about mechanics.

The pilot looked startled for a moment before nodding. "I'll need all the help I can get," he agreed.

"Master?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Obi-Wan wait here and monitor our progress," Qui-Gon instructed as the pilot stood up, moving so Obi-Wan could sit down. "If you need anything just call," Qui-Gon offered his Padawan who still looked rather pale.

Obi-Wan nodded, gathering himself together. Now was the not the time to falter. Qui-Gon needed him to stay here and that was what Obi-Wan was going to do. Seating himself in the pilot's chair as Qui-Gon and the pilot left, he swivelled himself around, closer to the control panel, watching as different sections of it lit up in complaint.

The diagnostics concerning the damage of the ship were flashing up on the screen as Obi-Wan monitored it. He scrolled carefully through it, reading the information as he glanced over the schematics of the ship. Then something caught his eye. Something that wasn't quite right. He re-examined it, the data running across the screen. This definitely wasn't right…

Grunting slightly with the effort, Qui-Gon wrenched the spanner and felt the small amount of satisfaction as the interface on the coolant system lit up. The pilot, who had introduced himself as Kouki Mal'am, nodded as he put down his toolkit.

"That should stay online now," Mal'am said, looking pleased. "I did not know Jedi knew so much about the inner systems of star ships."

Qui-Gon nodded, "I've picked up some basic skills over the years," he explained shortly as they both stood. Qui-Gon had shed his brown cloak before attempting to help the pilot, his cream tunic grimy from crawling beneath the ship's various units. Glancing at his chrono he noticed it had taken them nearly three hours. He wasn't surprised when his stomach rumbled gently.

Mal'am smiled knowingly. "I think we deserve some food," he said.

"I will check on my apprentice," Qui-Gon inclined his head. Carefully climbing the ladder up from the bowels of the ship, he made his way to the cockpit where Obi-Wan was, still diligently running the diagnostics.

* * *

"Have you found anything Obi-Wan?" Qui-Gon asked as he approached his Padawan, who to his credit did not jump startled at the sound of his voice though the Master had been quiet on his advance.

"That depends," Obi-Wan began, looking up as Qui-Gon looked over his shoulder.

Qui-Gon raised an eyebrow. "On what?"

Obi-Wan cleared his throat. "The explosion wasn't an accident," he said, running slim fingers over the controls. "Two explosions occurred, first one here," he pointed on the ship's schematics, "and second one here. This led to a hull breach here," he pointed again. "But they are on different systems entirely- the first explosion should have been the only one- the area around it would have shut down, but then the second explosion- occurred on a completely isolated circuit." He glanced back at Qui-Gon. "Neither explosion should have been big enough to create a breach. It doesn't make sense."

Qui-Gon stared at the schematics, noting Obi-Wan's observations. The young boy had obviously looked over this in depth he noted, pleased. "This is troubling," he said at length.

"How much have you managed to fix?" Obi-Wan asked.

"The hyperdrive is back online, as are most of the primary systems," said Qui-Gon. "It looks like we won't have to make a detour landing after all. We're not far from Malrion," he pointed to the star chart screen that was mapping their course. "On sublight engines we can arrive within a day."

Obi-Wan nodded. Without their interruption they would probably be at the planet by now. "Master?" he asked.

Qui-Gon looked over at Obi-Wan, "Yes?"

"Is there anything to eat?" the boy asked, rubbing a hand over his protesting stomach. "I didn't eat much for lunch," he admitted.

"I had noticed," Qui-Gon said wryly, thinking back to when he had told Obi-Wan over lunch that they would be going on their first mission. The Padawan had been so excited and nervous simultaneously, that he'd been unable to continue eating. "I believe Mal'am is procuring something," he said, watching Obi-Wan's face break into a relieved smile. It was amazing how after such a tense period of time, Obi-Wan could now be worried about his stomach.

As the pilot and two Jedi had eaten a small meal from the supplies on the ship, they had gone over the progress that had been made. Long range scanners and communications were still down and would take more work. Engines were running fine and life support was working at full capacity.

"We should get to Malrion a few hours later than planned. Luckily the blast doors are holding. I thought we would have to put a force field around the door but we then have no generators so it wouldn't have worked anyway," Mal'am said as they ate in the cockpit.

"Do you have any idea what caused the explosion?" Qui-Gon asked.

Mal'am shook his head as he swallowed. "Sensors were working perfectly up until the explosion. There was nothing on my scanners."

Obi-Wan spared a quick glance at Qui-Gon. /_ Is he lying? / _

Qui-Gon made no outward indication that Obi-Wan had mentally said anything, still watching their pilot as he pivoted in his chair to adjust their scanners. /_ I don't know. He genuinely looked terrified at the prospect of dying / _Qui-Gon sent back, frowning slightly.

Imperceptibly, Obi-Wan nodded. So far there was little proof that it had been the pilot's doing. They needed more evidence. He had the sinking suspicion that there was a lot more going on here than both he and Qui-Gon could see.

* * *

**How do they walk into such things? This was meant to be simple…oh well.**

**Sorry if the techno babble was rubbish. I really had no idea so I made a lot of it up! **

**Hope you enjoyed- next chapter will be up in two/three days. I have tons of spare time now my exams are over :) it's such a nice feeling!**

**AldabaranFox**


	3. Chapter 3

**Third chapter- sorry it's a little later than planned- a big family gathering took away my time over the weekend. Plus it's been too hot to do anything XD**

**Normal disclaimer still stands!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 3-Illusions of Peace**

"Making our descent in ten minutes Master Jedi," Mal'am announced, carefully navigating their damaged ship towards the planet of Malrion.

Obi-Wan looked out of the cockpit window and saw the shadow of the larger moon Filil loom over them as the battered ship skirted the only habitable moon out of the two moons of Malrion. Space ships were already breaking away from the lines of traffic to fly in the direction of the moon.

"Entering the atmosphere," Mal'am said, checking his scanners. "Shields are holding." Both Qui-Gon and Mal'am had been worried that entering the atmosphere would be untold stress on the ship already with a hull breach. Extra time had been spent boosting the shields, once the sublight engines had been engaged.

Completely mesmerised, Obi-Wan stared out as an enormous freighter ship emerged above them through the haze of clouds, its view port windows twinkling with lights. A flashy star ship raced beneath them, leaving them far to stern as it sped along the lanes of traffic descending towards the planet's surface. He was really here. On another planet. His first visit to another planet.

"Focus Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon's chiding voice was quiet, exuding a calm Obi-Wan couldn't hope to possess at that moment. He nodded apologetically, remembering to centre himself, drawing the Force in like a cloak, carefully releasing the feelings to the Force. The events from earlier had shaken him and Obi-Wan knew he had to remain especially focused. From what he and Qui-Gon had discussed...the blasts had been no accident.

Qui-Gon barely had to glance at his Padawan to sense and understand the turmoil of emotions flooding through the young boy. It was normal, but also needed to be kept in check. After the unexpected explosions, which seemed to have suspicious derivation, he needed Obi-Wan to be in control and alert. He felt Obi-Wan's attempts at calming and encouraged him with his own Force presence.

Mal'am took the ship lower and the great capital of Malrion rose up to greet them. Not as tall and domineering as the Coruscant skyline, the buildings were smaller, cleaner and just as impressive. A vast white stone building with a gold domed roof sat an acropolis in the centre of the city, dominating the surroundings. Official buildings below flanked it, a great variety of flags flapping.

"This is Airdrome 1- please state your intentions," a curt voice crackled through the cockpit.

Mal'am glanced at Qui-Gon who nodded. Opening communications channel, Mal'am said, "This is the _Nepapya _from Coruscant- two Jedi aboard to see the First Minister of Malrion." He rattled off the authorisation code.

There was static for a few moments, "Welcome to Malrion Jedi Masters," the voice said smoothly. "There is a designated landing pad for you in the Airdrome. Please land immediately. There will be an escort waiting for you." The communication link was cut.

Obi-Wan couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. They were expecting more than one Jedi Master? He grinned. Qui-Gon did not look perturbed as he sat in his chair, watching coolly as Mal'am directed their ship towards the Airdrome, one of the taller buildings in the city, with smooth round sides with large open hangers at different levels. To Obi-Wan it reminded him wryly of a bird feeder, with different perches for birds- or in this case- space ships to dock.

Their landing pad sailed into view as Mal'am made the final adjustments. There were already people waiting, the wind whipping their clothing as the _Nepapya_ approached. Mal'am fingers raced around the controls as he gently set the battered craft down, engines whirring. There was a soft thud as the ship made contact on the pad.

"Powering down engines," Mal'am said pleasantly as the ship came to a halt, turning to face the party awaiting them. Docking clamps whirred around the ship, holding it in position.

"Thank you," Qui-Gon nodded to the pilot as he and Obi-Wan rose.

Mal'am laughed. "For a moment back there I didn't think we would make it," he replied honestly. "I'm guessing the Jedi bring some sort of good luck."

Qui-Gon inclined his head. "It is your piloting skills," he deferred, shaking the hand offered by the pilot.

"Good luck kid," Mal'am grinned at Obi-Wan. "I'll be here a bit longer to fix the ship if you need anything."

* * *

The ramp hissed down and Qui-Gon followed by Obi-Wan descended onto the landing platform, hands folded in their cloak sleeves, faces carefully schooled. The escort party was waiting a few feet away and as they appeared one man stepped forward.

He was long limbed and tall, even more so than Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan noted as he approached the two Jedi. His skin was very pale, bordering on translucent. His clothes looked to be of fine quality, a rich burgundy robe, edged with silver underneath a pale patterned brown sleeveless surcoat. He wore an ornate head dress atop silvery hair, a bronze cap with a burgundy plume.

"Master Jedi," he beamed, looking first to Qui-Gon and then down at Obi-Wan. His face seemed to fall. "Excuse me if I am being forward…" he cleared his throat, "but I thought we had been promised two Jedi Masters?"

Qui-Gon was not perturbed by the man's statement. "My name is Qui-Gon Jinn and this is my Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi," he said, bowing, Obi-Wan quickly following suit. How surreal- he was being introduced officially as Qui-Gon's Padawan. He couldn't help but feel the small glow in his chest.

The man collected his manners swiftly. "Well, if the Jedi Temple believe you are suitable then that is very well with us. My name is Klone and I am one of the Chief Advisors to The First Minister of Malrion."

The Jedi bowed again.

"It is an honour to welcome the Jedi to Malrion to oversee our elections," Klone smiled, indicating to the Jedi to fall in step with him as they began to walk away from the ship. Klone's assistants and other delegates walked behind, also tall and graceful. Obi-Wan felt awkward and very small of a sudden.

/ _You're doing well / _Obi-Wan felt his Master's mental support echo through their bond. More confident, Obi-Wan squared his shoulders slightly, lengthening his stride to keep up with the tall Malrion people as they walked through the Airdrome. Qui-Gon seemed to have no trouble. All around were expensive looking air craft, open top leisure speeders. This must be a high class landing pad.

"I couldn't help but notice that your ship seemed damaged?" Klone ventured as he and the Jedi and one assistant stepped into the turbo lift to take them down to the city street levels.

"We suffered a minor explosion," Qui-Gon kept his explanation limited. He could feel Obi-Wan stiffen slightly by his side.

Klone looked shocked. "No one was hurt?" he asked. The Advisor then smiled thankfully when Qui-Gon affirmed there had fortunately been no casualties.

The turbo lift stopped with a gentle bump and the doors hissed open. Klone led the way out, robes flapping, Qui-Gon easily keeping up with Chief Advisor, Obi-Wan having rather more trouble. The entrance hall of the Airdrome was large and ornate, a sweeping marble roof and granite floor, boots clicking as they walked through, passed the security desk and through large double doors.

The group were ushered out quickly down the steps of the Airdrome where a luxury air taxi was waiting outside. As they walked down the steps, Obi-Wan noticed the guards surrounding the Chief Advisor. All wore blasters and other weapons strapped to their bodies, hidden within cloaks or holsters. Why the need for guards?

Why even the need for Jedi to overlook the elections? From what Obi-Wan had read, Malrion was a peaceful democratic planet; the crime rate was very low, education centres unparalleled and prosperity was high. The planet had no squabbles with any neighbouring planets or its own moons.

Qui-Gon paused suddenly. Something dark had swept through the Force, sending a chill up his spine. His piercing eyes swept the plaza they were descending into, taking in everything. There he felt it again. Qui-Gon frowned, focusing intently.

Everything then happened very quickly.

* * *

Obi-Wan caught the second chilling wave through the Force, hand immediately falling to his lightsaber, whilst glancing at his Master for confirmation. Even the Padawan knew something was amiss. Qui-Gon nodded ever so slightly at the young boy.

/ _It's the taxi! Move Obi-Wan! /_

Just as the cry flooded the bond, an enormous blast went off at the base of the stairs, the air taxi disappearing in a huge fireball, sending metal and shrapnel in all directions, flames shooting out.

Before it had even happened, Qui-Gon had forced Advisor Klone back up the stairs to safety and away from the blast, both men ducking as twisted bits of metal rained down on them, clattering on the stairs all around them.

As the smoke began to clear, the wailing of emergency vehicles filled the air. Qui-Gon was already on his feet, the Advisor was fine, being seen to by his numerous aids.

"Obi-Wan?" Qui-Gon called out. He had expected the boy to follow his lead during the explosion. It had been his duty as a Jedi to see first to the Advisor, though a part of the Jedi Master had been calling out for his Padawan.

/ _Padawan? /_

/ _Master / _was the strong reply, allowing Qui-Gon to release the breath he had not realised he had been holding. As the smoke continued to clear, he saw Obi-Wan a few steps below him, sprawled on his stomach where he had dropped as the explosion had gone off. Two delegates were beside him, where he had pushed them back to save them from being caught by the explosion, moaning as they stood.

Qui-Gon arrived at Obi-Wan's side as the boy pushed himself off the stairs to stand by his Master. He noticed that Obi-Wan was holding his left arm gingerly and his eyes narrowed in concern.

"Are you injured?" Qui-Gon asked, bending down to examine the limb.

"A burning bit of the ship hit it," Obi-Wan admitted sheepishly, embarrassed at such an injury. There was a nasty looking burn mark along the side of Obi-Wan's arm where he had thrown it up to protect the rest of his body.

"Don't be embarrassed," Qui-Gon said gently, feeling the emotions the boy was broadcasting.

Obi-Wan ducked his head again.

"Is he injured?" one of the delegates asked, peering down at the two Jedi, soot resting on his fine clothing. "Medic!"

"I'm fine," Obi-Wan protested.

The wailing of emergency vehicles had reached a crescendo as the fire ships arrived in the plaza, men jumping down with hoses, spraying down the still burning air taxi. Slowly, the Advisor was making his way down the stairs towards the Jedi, a concerned look on his face as he saw Obi-Wan.

"He was harmed in the blast?" Klone asked worriedly.

Obi-Wan tried to protest but Qui-Gon stepped in for him. "It is a small injury. I can treat it," he said smoothly, alleviating his flustered Padawan and a concerned Chief Advisor.

"I have to apologise," the Advisor said, wringing his hands. "It is unusual that we get violence here in Malrion- and the day the Jedi visit…what must you think?" he looked weary. "A new air taxi has been called for- we'll reach the Imperial Building quickly, whilst all this is cleared up."

Within a few minutes another taxi glided into the blackened plaza, arriving smoothly, doors opening as guards ran to it, checking this one. They waved the Advisor over once it was safe, the Jedi following. The numerous delegates milling around settled for the next one.

"Come," Klone said quickly, steering the two Jedi towards the air taxi. Climbing inside the air taxi, which took off promptly, Klone seemed to relax into the soft chairs. "We'll fly straight to the Imperial Buildings," he smiled shakily at the two Jedi.

Obi-Wan glanced at Qui-Gon. The question was burning on his lips; he wanted to know what had just happened. What had just happened? A bomb inside the air taxi? Who had placed it there? Who were they targeting? Why?

And Obi-Wan had thought Malrion was peaceful. His arm throbbed slightly but he ignored it. It was little more than a singe- like a lightsaber burn in training. He was grown up enough to handle it.

Qui-Gon could feel the unsettled emotions in his Padawan. He agreed, there was something not quite right, but then neither Jedi fully understood the situation. The Jedi Master sat calmly; fingers laced on his lap as the air taxi flew on, heading for the golden domed building.

* * *

The rest of the journey was in silence, the Advisor in too much shock to say anything whilst the Jedi kept their thoughts to themselves. The air taxi flew smoothly towards the Imperial Building, landing with a gentle bump.

A smile brightened Klone's face. "We have arrived. Come, I will have you escorted to your apartments. The First Minister is currently in a series of meetings but will be able to see you shortly."

The air taxi's doors hissed open. There were more assistants and guards waiting for them as the Jedi and Chief Advisor exited the vehicle. Obi-Wan looked around curiously. They had landed on a white stone balcony, quite high from the ground. The city was spread out around the acropolis, the streets all ran towards the Imperial Building, like spokes on a wheel.

"Chief Advisor!" a young woman hurried up to the group, her face pale. "We heard what happened in the plaza- are you hurt?"

Klone quickly dispelled her worries, introducing the woman to the Jedi as his personal secretary, Viza. She inclined her head towards the Jedi and they bowed back politely.

"Viza, would you please escort Master Jinn and Padawan Kenobi to the quarters they've been assigned to," Klone smiled, at the lightly smaller female. She was dressed much more modestly than her employer, in a shimmering silver robe. "I look forward to our next meeting," the Chief Advisor inclined his head as the two Jedi bowed together. "I hope your injury does not cause you too much pain Padawan Kenobi," Klone said as he departed.

"Come Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said softly as Obi-Wan hesitated still looking. Obi-Wan nodded and followed his Master and Viza who led them into the Imperial Building.

The art work that hung on the walls of the Imperial Building even made Qui-Gon raise an eyebrow at the decadence. Great tapestries from floor to ceiling, statues, fountains, paintings were everywhere as they were led towards their quarters.

Obi-Wan's mouth dropped as they entered their quarters. The living area had to be bigger than the whole of their quarters back at the Temple. The furnishings were elegant and sophisticated. There were two low couches in the living quarters with a small table in between. Opposite the doorway were large bay doors, that opened out onto a balcony overlooking the Northern Quarter of the city. To Obi-Wan's left there was a hallway which led to two bedrooms separated by a fresher.

"Obi-Wan, you'll catch flies like that," Qui-Gon couldn't help but smile as he watched his Padawan's jaw drop slightly.

Clearing his throat, Obi-Wan felt his cheeks reddening as he closed his mouth. "But Master…" he breathed. "I've never seen anything like this."

Qui-Gon settled his bag, which was now all they had between them since Obi-Wan's had been lost, on one of the couches. "Don't get used to it Padawan- I assure you that not everyone is as hospitable as the Malrions. Just wait until we visit other planets."

Obi-Wan wrinkled his nose slightly before becoming serious. "Master, the explosion in the plaza..." he broke off.

Qui-Gon glanced at his Padawan, waiting for him to continue.

"That was the second explosion we've been caught near in two days. This one felt...it felt like it was more desperation than anger," Obi-Wan finished, looking up at his Master. Was he completely off target or had Qui-Gon sensed something too? Klone had seemed shaken by the blast but not as shocked as most of the other delegates had been.

"I agree with you," Qui-Gon's statement first shocked then pleased Obi-Wan. "Though I believe -for now- prudence is the best form of action. We ourselves are merely here as observers," Qui-Gon said, seating himself of the sofa.

Obi-Wan nodded slowly. It was true- the two Jedi knew nothing of the situation. Jumping to conclusions was unwise as well as dangerous. "What do you suggest Master?"

"We should be patient young one," Qui-Gon said, a smile forming on his lips- knowing that patience was not one of his young Padawan's fortes. He pulled out a bacta patch from his bag, waving for Obi-Wan to come closer.

The young boy grumbled that he was fine as Qui-Gon applied it to the burnt area, smoothing the patch on the skin and pulling Obi-Wan's singed sleeve back into place. Qui-Gon had the wry feeling that this was the first of many wounds he would have to treat the boy for. Thank goodness the first was nothing major.

"Thank you Master," Obi-Wan had the grace to say, adjusting his sleeve so it didn't get caught on the bacta patch.

A moment later, the bell to their quarters chimed. Qui-Gon moved over to the door and accessed its controls, letting it hiss open. The young women who had guided them to their quarters, Viza was on the other side. She inclined her head.

"The First Minister is available to see you now," she said politely. "If you would follow me?"

* * *

Together, the two Jedi followed the young Malrion through the gilded hallways up another flight of marble stairs and before a set of grand double wooden doors. "I will introduce you," she said, "Please wait for a moment."

The doors slid open a fraction, enough for her to slide through. Obi-Wan tried not to fidget as they waited. Instead, he folded his hands in his sleeves of his robe, as his Master already had done. A few minutes later, Viza reappeared. "The First Minister is ready to see you," she said. The doors behind her began to open again, this time fully, so all three could walk through side by side with ease.

Keeping his eyes forward, Obi-Wan allowed his senses to sweep the room. The ceiling was immensely high and domed- they must be right beneath the gold domed roof. A triangular table was set right beneath the domed ceiling. White stone pillars, with intricately carved patterns, were arranged in colonnades spanned the length of the room, separating it into three sections; the middle one with the table and two ante chambers.

Seated in one of the high backed chairs was a man. Upon seeing the Jedi, the man rose expectantly. If Obi-Wan had thought Klone's outfit was splendid- this man's was positively regal. His long sleeved robe was of a deep blue, with dark embroided patterns in the heavy material. Over the robe he wore a floor length sleeveless surcoat of white, trimmed with gold. His hair was dark brown and shoulder length, on top of which he wore a head dress not unlike Klone's but with instead, was gold with a blue plume.

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan both bowed before the First Minister who watched them intently.

"Master Jinn and Padawan Kenobi," he said, not returning a bow, "I was told of your arrival. My apologies for not greeting you immediately, I was tied up in a meeting and then in sorting out the response for that explosion in the Airdrome plaza," he gave both Jedi a pleasant enough smile.

"It is our pleasure to be here First Minister," Qui-Gon said.

The First Minister looked pleased. "I hope you find everything according to your needs Master Jedi. If anything is required, do not hesitate to ask. Here on Malrion we make sure our guests are treated with respect and hospitality."

"So we have seen already," Qui-Gon said, inclining his head politely.

"Now to business. The elections take place in a matter of days," The First Minister said, seating himself. "It was on the advice of my council that I requested the presence of the Jedi. The last Government of Malrion was accused of falsities and corruption. I believe if the people of Malrion see that Jedi are personally here overlooking procedures that they will be reassured that this election will be smooth and fair."

Qui-Gon nodded, features carefully schooled. That had answered Obi-Wan's question it seemed; he could feel Obi-Wan's curiosity like a burning light beside him. However, he could also feel Obi-Wan's mistrust of the man in front of them.

"First Minister?" a male aid had approached the three men, bowing before his ruler before coming any closer.

The First Minister waved the aid over, listening as the man quietly spoke in hushed tones. Qui-Gon watched as the leader's eyebrows drew closer together in annoyance. With a frown he waved the man away, who bowed again before retreating.

"It seems we have to cut our meeting short," the First Minister said with an exaggerated sigh, "something has come up that demands my attention. You will be escorted back to your quarters- unless you would like to see more of the city or the Imperial Building? I can organise a guide to take you."

"Thank First Minister. I was hoping that my Padawan and I would have a chance to do some training. Is there any spare chambers that we might use?" Qui-Gon asked solicitously. The Master knew Obi-Wan would need something to keep his mind on the mission in hand.

"Of course, of course," the First Minister said. "The woman who brought you here will provide you with everything you need. I look forward to our next meeting," he rose as the Jedi bowed to him again. With a sweep of his billowing blue robes the First Minister left the domed room, followed by five aids.

Gently nudging Obi-Wan with the Force, Qui-Gon turned to follow their guide. Obi-Wan looked rather dazed after meeting the ostentatiously dressed leader of Malrion. Qui-Gon had met many of the First Minister's kind before and took it all in his stride. He still had his reservations however.

Obi-Wan followed his Master and their guide, heading towards a room designated for their training. He stopped short. "Master, may I leave my cloak in our quarters before we train?" he asked.

Qui-Gon glanced at him. "If you wish. Do you remember the way back?" he asked as their guide waited patiently.

Obi-Wan nodded quickly. "We are not far from there," he said. Qui-Gon gave him permission and he hurried away down the corridor, taking a left at the end. Qui-Gon watched the young boy disappear around the bend and indicated for the guide to continue. He sensed no danger here in the Imperial Building and knew Obi-Wan was a mental thought away.

* * *

Obi-Wan smiled in satisfaction as he found the room he and Qui-Gon were staying in. He wiggled his fingers on his left hand experimentally. The burn still ached but apart from that the wound was healing nicely thanks to the bacta patch. Still it was a childish injury.

Obi-Wan sighed. If he wanted to look the proper, grown up Padawan of Qui-Gon Jinn he needed to act like it. Not getting silly little injuries and worrying his master needlessly.

He accessed the door lock and punched in the combination Qui-Gon had shown him. The door swished open and Obi-Wan stepped across the threshold.

"Oh Force..."

* * *

Qui-Gon had just entered the training room when he felt Obi-Wan's call across their bond. /_ Master! There's something wrong! / _Qui-Gon felt the uncertainty pouring down the bond, accompanied by a flash of fear and alarm originating from his Padawan.

/ _Obi-Wan? What's the matter? Has something happened? / _Qui-Gon demanded, immediately leaving the training room, sweeping past Viza who looked surprised to see the Jedi Master hurrying in the opposite direction. She called after him and on receiving no reply, hastened after him.

Rounding the corner, Qui-Gon arrived quickly at the quarters he shared with Obi-Wan. The door was wide open and he stepped through, hand falling to his lightsaber hanging from his belt, looking around sharply to pinpoint his Padawan.

"Obi-Wan?"

* * *

**Oh dear. Another cliff hanger. Well review and it will get sorted out quickly- promise :D Plus it's cooled down more so I can write without feeling like I'm about to melt!**

**Hope you enjoyed!**

**AldabaranFox**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey! Sorry this is much later than planned- I've been busy plus my muse is being tempremental. I've been devoting time to two different stories also. This one is flowing better now so will be updated more regularly now :)**

**Sorry for the wait!**

**Enjoy!**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 4- Mystery Deepens**

Previously...

_Qui-Gon had just entered the training room when he felt Obi-Wan's call across their bond. _/ Master! There's something wrong! /_ Qui-Gon felt the uncertainty pouring down the bond, accompanied by a flash of fear and alarm originating from his Padawan._

/ Obi-Wan? What's the matter? Has something happened? /_ Qui-Gon demanded, immediately leaving the training room, sweeping past Viza who looked surprised to see the Jedi Master hurrying in the opposite direction. She called after him and on receiving no reply, hastened after him._

_Rounding the corner, Qui-Gon arrived quickly at the quarters he shared with Obi-Wan. The door was wide open and he stepped through, hand falling to his lightsaber hanging from his belt, looking around sharply to pinpoint his Padawan. _

"_Obi-Wan?" _

* * *

The first thing that hit Qui-Gon was the state of the room.

The expensive looking couches had been upturned; the cushions slashed violently so the stuffing was exposed. Lamps and ornaments had been smashed to the floor, bits of pottery and glass covered the carpets. The long curtains at the window had been partially pulled down, the golden rail yanked away from the wall on the right hand side. The entire room was a state.

"Obi-Wan?" Qui-Gon called again.

There was no reply.

Projecting the Force like feelers around the room, Qui-Gon was startled to pick up two life signs from behind the couch. Striding over, gut twisting unpleasantly he found two men, lying unconscious behind the wrecked piece of furniture. Neither was his Padawan.

Allowing his senses to sweep through the room again, Qui-Gon concentrated. There was an unfamiliar presence; not totally of the darkness, nor totally malicious. However, it did not shine of goodness either. It perturbed the Master. Though not as much as returning to their room to find his Padawan missing.

There was a gasp behind them; their female guide had entered behind Qui-Gon, her hand rising to her mouth. "What happened?" she asked, shocked.

"I found the room like this," Qui-Gon said, his tone sharp. He quickly apologised, releasing his pent up frustration to the Force. "My Padawan arrived moments ago but is no longer here," he said, turning to face Viza.

Trying the next available method, Qui-Gon reached out for the bond he shared with Obi-Wan. He was surprised to find the bond was quiet. He was receiving almost nothing from Obi-Wan's end. This sent a chill down the Master's spine. Something had happened. Something had happened to Obi-Wan.

/_ Obi-Wan? Padawan can you hear me? Padawan say something / _There was nothing coming from the other end of the bond. It was as though someone had pressed mute to their bond. The elder Jedi could neither hear or feel anything from Obi-Wan's end of their bond.

Qui-Gon struggled to comprehend the situation. This was their _first _mission. A routine overseeing of a planet's elections. This _shouldn't _be happening. Qui-Gon dug deeper into their bond, searching. There was nothing. If anything there seemed to be a lack of anything Force sensitive issuing from the other end. This was not good in the slightest.

"Who did this?" Viza asked breathlessly.

"I know not. But I will see to it that we find answers"Qui-Gon promised. "The link I share with my Padawan has gone very quiet, which either suggests he is very far away or somehow unable to respond."

"These are Imperial Building Guards," Viza sounded stunned as she spotted the two unconscious men lying on the floor, recognizing their uniforms. "Oh- he's waking up Master Jedi!" Viza had knelt beside on of the men.

Qui-Gon crouched down beside her. "Who are you? What can you tell us of what happened here?"

The man built sluggishly before becoming more alert. "My name is Raidon. I'm a Captain of the Guard here at the Imperial Building, Section 5, 3rd Quadrant," he said in a military fashion.

"What happened here?" Qui-Gon pressed.

"Usually two Guards are stationed along a corridor. Due to the Jedi's presence this was increased to three. We heard a shout from the Jedi's room. We investigated. I felt something hit me from behind when I entered. I saw two figures in front of me. Then everything went black," Raidon reported, sitting up with Viza's help.

"Did you see a young boy? Of about 13 standard years?"

Raidon considered for a moment before nodding, wincing as his head wound throbbed painfully. "Only for a moment. He was already unconscious. Seemed that he put up a fight before being captured. The room was like this when we entered." He gestured to the smashed vases and ruined couch.

Qui-Gon felt his gut twist sharply and uncomfortably. Obi-Wan was gone then. If he had been hurt in any way… Qui-Gon was surprised at the anger that welled up inside him at the thought of Obi-Wan being taken in such a fashion. The boy was barely 13!

It comforted him slightly that Obi-Wan had fought his captors. He scanned the floor, as if looking for some clue. "You said there were three Guards. Why are there only two of you here?"

Raidon looked down and saw his companion still out cold. His eyes narrowed and he glanced back at the Jedi Master. "Three of us entered the room. Cortez first," he indicated to the Guard on the floor, "Myself second and the third Guard last."

Viza looked between the two men, trying to gauge the situation. "You think the third Guard…"

"I had never seen him on duty before," Raidon said slowly. "The blow came from directly behind me. The only one who could have done that was him."

"An inside job…" Viza breathed.

"Can we trace this Guard?" Qui-Gon asked, helping the Guard to his feet, Viza steadying him.

"All of us have codes. We can find his code, we can find the Guard," Raidon said confidently. Moving past Viza he went to the control panel on the wall, typing in a few commands. "Give me the codes of the Guards on duty in corridor gamma, fourth shift," he spoke into the device. "Authorization code: alpha 5394 pi 26."

It beeped for a moment as the Jedi Master, Guard and Aid watched, waiting for the response. The computer built into the wall whirred as the rest of the ransacked room was silent.

"Guards 5394 and 3621 are stationed in this specific area presently," the computerized voice responded pleasantly.

Raidon shook his head. "There are meant to be three guards stationed in corridor gamma, fourth shift. Tell me the third," he repeated.

Qui-Gon already knew the answer. The Force whispered of deception. Raidon and his partner Cortez had been duped.

"There are only two Guards to report for this shift. 5394 and 3621," the machine said again.

Viza looked confused. "What does that mean?" she asked.

Raidon looked solemn, if not angry. "My registration code is 5394, Cortez is 3621. It is saying that there is no other Guard meant to be present. But we had another one stationed with us. Knew all the codes when we passed through security before arriving here twenty minutes ago."

"Do you have surveillance devices in the corridors?" Qui-Gon asked.

The Guard nodded. "Come with me, we can find them in one of the security rooms. Meanwhile, I'll post extra Guards here and have a search of the Imperial Building ordered. They can't have gone far."

Qui-Gon nodded. "I would like to join the search after looking at the tapes. I also need to talk to Chief Advisor Klone and The First Minister." he stated. It was not a request. "We will find my Padawan."

Raidon stared at the Jedi Master for a moment. "We will find your Padawan," he nodded strongly in agreement.

* * *

_(somewhere else...)_

A dull aching pain told Obi-Wan he was now awake. Grimacing, he cautiously opened his eyes. Thankfully, when he did, the light hitting his retinas was dim and unobtrusive. He opened them fully, gazing around.

He was lying on his back. For the life of him, he couldn't remember what had happened. Slowly, he breathed out, centering himself, feeling for the Force. He gasped in surprise. He tried reaching out for it again. This wasn't possible…every time he tried to call upon the Force it slipped from his grasp, like he was chasing a slippery bar of soap that would not keep still.

Panic griped Obi-Wan's heart and he felt his breaths leaving him in worried gasps. Where was he? Why wouldn't the Force bend to his will? It didn't make sense…

"Master?" he tried, his voice holding firm despite his trembling body. "Master?"

There was no reply. In fact, his voice just seemed to bounce back at him, as though he was in a small room. Or a cave. After calming himself Obi-Wan realized he could hear water, pattering on the floor. A cold drop landed on his cheek, startling him. He brushed it away quickly.

"Hello?" Obi-Wan tried again, sitting up. He winced as a sharp pain lanced through his head and threw up a hand to cradle the back of his skull. Probing fingers soon found a large egg sized lump on the back of his head.

"That explains the headache," Obi-Wan commented dryly, wincing again as he removed his hand. The fact that he couldn't feel the Force meant he could not call upon it to sooth the injury. He would just have to put up with it.

The floor beneath his fingers was covered in reed mat, but after finding the edges, his fingers danced across cold, rugged stone. A cave indeed. It was rather chilly too. Looking around, Obi-Wan saw that there were various candles burning softly in brackets hammered into the rock face.

It was slowly trickling back into his mind. He'd been at the Imperial Building, with his Master, Chief Advisor Klone and the First Minister. Obi-Wan had decided to return to his quarters for some reason or other. Then trouble. The Force had swirled around him- warning him- too late had he paid attention. Now he was here, wherever here was…

He had been captured.

Obi-Wan gulped. Captured. He had heard terrible stories about Knights and Masters being kidnapped whilst on missions. The tortures some had undergone. He hoped a lot of it had been exaggerations through the retelling of the tales.

Obi-Wan wished Qui-Gon was with him.

"Hey- are you awake?" a quiet voice said from behind Obi-Wan.

Turning around, startled, Obi-Wan yelped as he moved his head too quickly- a flash of pain burning through his skull. _Sith that hurt! _Obi-Wan thought. Damn that he didn't have the Force, he would have been able to sense the other presence.

"Yes I'm awake," the Padawan grumbled, somewhat disgruntled as he carefully supported the back of his head. Having finished turning to face the speaker he was surprised when he laid eyes upon a young boy, who could not have been older than himself, emerging from the shadows.

"That is good. I had hoped you were not too badly injured," the young boy said, offering a smile.

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. Right...that did not sound like typical torture style conversation. "Where am I?" he asked instead.

The young boy fiddled with a loose thread on his grey tunic. "I can't tell you that. I was only supposed to sit with you until you awoke. I saw you sit up and came over to have a look."

"Well, I'm awake," Obi-Wan said slowly. _Now what? _He wondered. _I have no idea where I am, I can't access the Force and Master Qui-Gon is nowhere to be found. Oh this is great Obi-Wan. You've gone and gotten yourself captured. On your _FIRST_ mission. Gods Qui-Gon must be mad…who gets captured on a simple mission such as this? Such a failure Obi-Wan…_

The young boy, Karsten, titled his head, watching the mixture of emotions flowing over his charge's face. The first, he made out in the candle light as confusion, followed quickly by frustration, then exasperation and finally dejection? Then suddenly all was wiped blank- like a slate being cleaned.

"Are you alright?" Karsten asked tentatively.

He watched as the boy's braid swung over his shoulder, eyes widening. "Am _I _alright?" he repeated. "I need to know what is going on here." The boy folded his arms in front of his chest, arranging himself so he was sitting cross legged. He looked the epitome of serenity. Karsten blinked at the sudden change.

"My name is Karsten," he tried. "What's yours?"

"Obi-Wan Kenobi," Obi-Wan said formally. He had to sort this out. Perhaps a mistake had been made…"Now. You must tell me what is going on here. Where am I? Why was I brought here?"

Karsten rose to his feet, in a smooth, well practiced move. "Now you are awake the leaders will want to see you. I can take you to them," he said. He watched as Obi-Wan followed his lead, moving more slowly, as if mindful of injuries. He held his left side awkwardly and Karsten winced. The others had obviously not been careful when they had brought Obi-Wan in.

Obi-Wan winced as he felt his left side protest at the movement. It was where he had been beaten in the struggle. Suddenly, his heart clenched as a sudden fear washed over him and his hand dropped to his waist in a frantic search. It was gone. It couldn't possibly be gone. They had taken his lightsaber!

"What's the matter?" Karsten asked, watching Obi-Wan struggle to control himself.

"My lightsaber. Have you seen it?" Obi-Wan asked urgently. His brown cloak was also missing he noted absentmindedly. That could easily be replaced though. But his lightsaber…

"I haven't seen anything," Karsten looked apologetic as Obi-Wan described his lightsaber. "They brought you in alone. Come follow me. I'm sure the others will explain."

Karsten walked away, soft kid boots barely making a sound on the rock. Obi-Wan followed him. Karsten drew back a drape that hid the entrance to the cave.

It took almost all of Obi-Wan's Jedi training to prevent his jaw from dropping.

* * *

_(Imperial Building)_

"Chief Advisor Klone," Qui-Gon said, turning to the man as the Advisor entered the room, Viza hurrying along behind him. Guard Raidon stood beside the Jedi Master. It was circular, with a white stone floor flecked with black and grey bands of mineral impurities, large bay windows allowing light to stream in. They were in one of the smaller domed buildings- an ante-chamber to the First Minister's audience chambers.

"Master Jinn," Klone looked stressed. "When my aid told me what had happened...if there's anything I can do…"

"There is Chief Advisor," Qui-Gon said, moving swiftly to the point. "We need to see the video footage. Apparently it needs your identification code." Though Qui-Gon looked calm on the outside, inside his brain was rapidly ticking over all the information he, Raidon and Viza had so far gathered.

The video tapes could not be accessed. Raidon had at first been confused- usually accessing tapes was simple for any guard of his rank. Now, he couldn't access any files.

Viza's search of Guard records had drawn up a blank. There was no Guard matching the description Raidon or Cortez had given on the mysterious third Guard. Qui-Gon was beginning to suspect it had been an outside job. That intensified his worries. He had no leads on where Obi-Wan was at all.

"Of course," Klone gabbled. "There is an access terminal in my office, come we can search the tapes there." A flap of his robes and the Chief Advisor was leading the party back through the immense marble and granite foyer towards his offices.

Jabbing in the code to grant access to his offices, the group waited impatiently as the doors hissed open, revealing the lavish interior of the Chief Advisor's main office. A plush carpet covered the stone floor and a long, ornately carved wooden desk stood in the centre with a large red chair tucked in neatly behind it. The large bay windows behind the desk showed the Imperial Building's Official Gardens.

Klone seated himself at the desk, holographic monitors flashing up in front of him as he began to access the security. Qui-Gon ever serene stood by the man's side as Viza and Raidon stood on the other, staring as the fast forward images sped across the screen.

"Stop," Qui-Gon said pointing to an image. "There."

Raidon nodded. "That is myself and Guard Cortez. That is the third Guard," he indicated to the slightly blurry holographic screen which was on pause. The video continued, in clear colour at normal pace. Qui-Gon watched as Obi-Wan approached the room from the opposite end of the corridor, opened the door and stepped through. The Master felt his heart clench of its own accord. The last footage of Obi-Wan.

There was a sudden noise on the video; Qui-Gon watched as all three Guards glanced at each other, before hurrying towards the Jedi's room. There was another muffled shout and everything went quiet. Nothing else moved along that corridor for three more minutes.

"There is nothing else it could be…" Klone sighed.

Qui-Gon turned sharply to look down at the slumped figure of the Chief Advisor. "What is it?" he demanded.

"Master Jedi…we may not have been entirely truthful when we contacted the Jedi Temple and requested a Jedi presence during the midst of our elections," Klone began wearily. "We have been experiencing trouble here on Malrion. Insurgents. The attack at the Airdrome this morning…intelligence has reached me that it was masterminded by the rebels."

Qui-Gon exhaled deeply, releasing his frustration to the Force. Of course. It made sense. He was also irritated. He had brought Obi-Wan to this planet precisely because of its reputation for being a peaceful planet and a mission of simplicity without this sort of complication. There had been little to warn Obi-Wan about.

From the looks on Raidon and Viza's faces- they had not heard of this before either.

"Chief Advisor- why was this not brought up?" Qui-Gon asked as diplomatically as possible.

Klone sighed. "It is…embarrassing for a planet such as ours to be entangled in such an event. This matter is known only to the top officials. So far they have not demanded much. Just that the elections should not go ahead. They believe them to be 'rigged'. Can you believe it? Rigged!" The Advisor thumped a fist on the desk.

Qui-Gon nodded. "So their first act of violence was at the Airdrome this morning?"

Klone looked serious. "I believe Master Jedi that that was their second. Their first was the attack on your ship as you travelled here."

Qui-Gon thought about it. It was plausible. Not yet proven. The Force could not provide a certain answer. "We do not yet know for definite whether these rebels you speak of were behind the attack on my ship Chief Advisor," he said politely.

"I beg to differ Master Jedi," Klone disagreed. "These rebels have made known their aims. Now they have your Padawan."

"We still do not know that," Qui-Gon said. Inwardly he recognized it as one of the only likely leads so far. It was not as if Obi-Wan had jumped up and just disappeared by himself.

"Sir, if you don't mind my asking, where are these rebels? Give me enough men and I can help hunt them down," Raidon interjected.

"We have been unable to track the rebels' movements," Klone explained heavily. "They move quickly- rarely staying in one place for very long. Every time we are upon them we find empty hideouts. This needs to be kept quiet. If the citizens find out…"

Qui-Gon nodded. Panic just before elections was not what was wanted. "If you would excuse me Chief Advisor. I must place a call and also meditate. My emotions are becoming quite…distracting."

Klone offered a weak smile. "Please Master Jedi- whatever you require is yours. You can make the call from my private office over there."

Qui-Gon gave a short bow in thanks and left, brown Jedi robe flapping behind him as he left the main office and entered the small, quieter one off of Klone's main office. He accessed the main terminal, typing in a few choice commands. He spoke briefly to a connector before the call was patched through.

"Windu here," the bald council's image swam into view.

"Mace," Qui-Gon acknowledged, allowing a touch of frost into his voice.

"Qui-Gon," Mace replied cheerfully. "What can I do for you? How's the mission going?"

"I remember you saying about this mission- direct quote: "a simple overseeing of a planet's routine elections. Nothing too strenuous." I disagree," Qui-Gon answered, brows drawing in together.

Mace looked puzzled. "Qui-Gon what has happened?"

"There's a rebel base here. Things have become a lot more complicated then we first anticipated. The Government here has kept quiet about the rebel activity in a hope it will not interfere with the elections," Qui-Gon informed him.

Mace's eyes widened. "They did not inform us of this."

"No, Chief Advisor Klone admitted that a moment ago," Qui-Gon said, feeling the frustration seep back.

"Qui-Gon? Something else is wrong," Mace concluded, studying the grainy image of his friend's face knowingly. Something more had irritated the other Jedi Master.

"It's Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon managed.

"What's the matter with him?" Mace ventured.

"He's gone Mace. Klone believes it's the rebels. There is no conclusive evidence yet," Qui-Gon said heavily.

Mace looked stunned for a moment. "They've kidnapped a Jedi Padawan?" he demanded, a frown marring his face as Qui-Gon nodded the affirmative.

"Continue to investigate Qui-Gon. I will see what I can dig up from this end," Mace promised. "Do not worry- Obi-Wan is capable."

Qui-Gon nodded. He knew what Obi-Wan was capable of. He paused.

Did he?

They had only been with Master and Apprentice for the past two weeks. He knew of Obi-Wan's capabilities in a controlled environment in the Temple- where there was little danger from unexpected enemies and rebels.

Now on planet with little information about this so called enemy- Qui-Gon did not know how Obi-Wan would react. Could the boy rise to the challenge? He hoped so.

No- that was not fair to Obi-Wan. The boy was strong. He would survive and do credit to his Jedi training as expected.

_Obi-Wan…I will find you…_

"I'll message you soon," Qui-Gon informed Mace who had waited patiently as his friend had sunk into his mind. "May the Force be with you."

"You too Qui-Gon. Allow it to guide you."

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed :D ****Please review!**

**AldabaranFox**


	5. Chapter 5

**Long time no see! University took over my life for two months and a half. But luckily it is now Christmas break and I can write again! So sorry for the very long delay in updating- I was just crazily busy! **

**Hope you enjoy!**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 5- Captive and Alone**

**_Previously..._**

_"He's gone Mace. Klone believes it's the rebels. There is no conclusive evidence yet," Qui-Gon said heavily._

_Mace looked stunned for a moment. "They've kidnapped a Jedi Padawan?" he demanded, a frown marring his face as Qui-Gon nodded the affirmative._

_"Continue to investigate Qui-Gon. I will see what I can dig up from this end," Mace promised. "Do not worry- Obi-Wan is capable._

_Qui-Gon nodded. He knew what Obi-Wan was capable of. He paused._

_Did he?_

_Obi-Wan…I will find you…_

* * *

Obi-Wan could not believe his eyes. Karsten had drawn back the curtain isolating their small cave and revealed a huge cavern, Obi-Wan's cave miniscule in comparison. The rocky roof was hundreds of feet above them, great arching natural columns of rock supporting the ceiling of the cave.

Obi-Wan craned his neck. He was about halfway up the cave, in a small antechamber. Outside metal gangways and steps ran along the walls of the cave, passing three different levels built directly into the rock.

Karsten glanced over at the young prisoner. He smiled; he had been exactly the same when he had first seen this great natural wonder hidden deep below the Malrion capital. No one except the rebels knew about its location.

"Where am I?" Obi-Wan asked, eyes never alighting for too long on any one sight. He moved to step forward but Karsten threw a hand up to prevent him, taking the young Padawan by surprise. Obi-Wan glanced to his left and spotted it. Running across the entrance to his cave were micro thin lasers, acting as a barrier against Obi-Wan escaping. They would deliver a very powerful electric shock, incapacitating a normal human. Obi-Wan took a deep breath; he was allowing himself to become distracted.

But without the Force...he had felt no warning of the imminent danger he had been about to step into. Even now as he tried in vain to draw on its strength and comfort he felt nothing. It was disconcerting, worrying and painful all at the same time. As though he was incomplete. It made Obi-Wan feel ill. He felt bereft without its comforting presence.

_How long can I last without the Force…? _He wondered ominously. His skull still throbbed painfully, too much just to ignore- though not enough to keep him unconscious

Obi-Wan grimaced. He had to do _something._

"Hey- you there!"

A stern voice caught Obi-Wan and Karsten by surprise. There was the noise of clanking boots on metal and a tall, broad shouldered, human male was walking quickly towards them, staring straight at Obi-Wan. As he approached, Obi-Wan realised the man rivalled Qui-Gon for impressive height.

Obi-Wan had a bad feeling about this man.

Karsten hurried to salute the man approaching.

"The prisoner is awake?" the man glanced through Obi-Wan, careful not to get too close to the beams.

Obi-Wan felt like rolling his eyes at the obvious question. Instead, he pulled himself together. He needed to figure out where he was and more importantly- how he was going to get back to Qui-Gon. That positive thought in mind he centred himself and studied the man approaching them. He had short, closely cropped hair and was wearing clothes similar to Karsten- even similar as the rest of the people Obi-Wan saw walking through the cavern: a dark tunic, shirt and trousers, standard looking boots with a black belt around his waist. A small white symbol was sewn onto the material above his heart.

Karsten nodded.

"Bind his hands," the man ordered. "And put this over his head."

Obi-Wan observed the apologetic look Karsten shot him, before he obligingly held out his wrists. They were tied none too gently either and Obi-Wan grimaced as the plastic ties cut into the soft skin. Karsten held out the hood. Inwardly steeling himself, Obi-Wan watched Karsten raise the hood to pull it down over his head, trying to hide the fear that bubbled up inside him.

This was so _beyond_ having a bad feeling.

All he needed to do was keep a level head and sort through this problem methodically. As a Jedi would do. Like his Master would without a doubt manage. And Obi-Wan wanted to live up to, no…surpass Qui-Gon's expectations.

And look where he had landed himself….

Obi-Wan wondered how long he could hold out for.

The hood descended over his eyes and Obi-Wan's world was plunged into a muffled darkness where light did not penetrate. He could faintly hear Karsten and the man discussing something before he was prodded in the shoulder something metallic and cold. A blaster end he surmised. The man had had several strapped to the belt around his waist.

"Move forward," the man's voice directed. "And don't try anything."

Cautiously and missing the Force more than ever, Obi-Wan stepped forward, wishing he could feel his way with the Force. Instead, he faltered blindly forward, prodded in the right direction by the end of a gun held by some unknown man.

"Left," the voice demanded.

Bewildered, Obi-Wan turned to his left, shoved roughly in the right direction by a non-too-gentle blaster in his back, making him stumble forwards, barely keeping his balance.

_Oh Force…Master where are you?_ Obi-Wan thought anxiously.

* * *

_(Imperial Palace- Qui-Gon Jinn)_

Unbeknown to the young Padawan, the Jedi Master was thinking almost exactly the same thing as he sat in Chief Advisor Klone's private office as he watched the ghostly blue figure of Mace Windu disappear with a soft hiss. He then rubbed a hand across his face, sinking deep into thought.

"_Let the Force guide you." _

To find Obi-Wan he needed a level head and to be in complete control. Anxiety and restlessness flickered within him. Registering the emotions' intensities with slight surprise, Qui-Gon exhaled slowly. How different his life was turning out to be, barely having a Padawan a month. Missions had another complex side now he had someone to guide.

Well, how well his guidance was shaping out to be. He had failed to keep his Padawan safe. On the first mission. That had to be a Temple record of some sort. And not one that Qui-Gon was pleased to hold. He would find Obi-Wan. Quickly.

Standing, he left the private office and walked back to where Advisor Klone, his secretary Viza and the Captain of the Imperial Building Guard Raidon were waiting for him.

Advisor Klone rose quickly to greet the solemn Jedi Master. "There was no problem was there Master Jedi?" Klone asked. "Is there anything I can do to help? I am at your disposal Master Jinn," he offered humbly.

_No problem?_ Qui-Gon gritted his teeth. Of course there was a problem. "Chief Advisor, what files do you have on the rebels? I need all available information. How would they have known Jedi were arriving?"

Klone looked momentarily perplexed. "We have very limited intelligence on these rebels Master Jinn- they are a new occurrence here in Malrion. But I am sure there will be some files for you to read. Captain Raidon will take you there," the Chief Advisor said.

"It would not be difficult for the rebels to have found out about the Jedi's presence," Viza spoke up. "The Government did not hide the fact that Jedi would be overlooking the elections. Everybody knew."

Qui-Gon nodded. "I see. How long have the rebels made themselves known?"

"Only a few weeks," Klone admitted. "First they demanded that the election process be made more public. Then they accused us of 'rigging' the election. They mean to spread chaos in the streets!" Klone was angry.

"Do they go by a name?" Qui-Gon asked.

"Freedom for Malrion," Klone said. "They believe Malrion is not being run properly. They would tell us officials they could run it better!" The Advisor frowned. "I'm sure it will not be long before we hear demands concerning your Padawan, Master Jinn."

Qui-Gon schooled his features carefully. That had been another thing on his mind. There had yet to be any call- to say whether or not this rebel party had indeed captured Obi-Wan. "We still do not know for definite whether this rebel group have my Padawan," the Jedi Master said as neutrally as possible. "Have they kidnapped anyone before?"

Viza exchanged a glance with Raidon but neither said anything.

"Well no they haven't," Klone sputtered. "But I really can't think where else you Padawan would have ended up. He didn't just wander off did he? There has been an extensive sweep of the grounds and rooms and nothing has been turned up. The boy is not here."

Qui-Gon reached out with the Force for the umpteenth time, searching, hunting for any sign of his Padawan. There was nothing. A stony silence where once there had been a brilliant light at the back of his mind that linked him to the boy. It was gone.

He couldn't be dead…

Qui-Gon drew himself out of his ominous thought pattern. Focus would determine his reality. He needed to focus- on getting Obi-Wan back. "Thank you for your help Chief Advisor. May I now be shown to your data collection of these rebels?"

"Of course, of course. Captain Raidon if you please."

"Sir," Raidon nodded. "If you would like to follow me Jedi Master," he said, moving towards the door, Qui-Gon quickly falling into step with the Captain, Viza remaining with the Chief Advisor. The secretary watched the two men disappear, before placing something down on the desk.

_

* * *

_

_(With Obi-Wan)_

Obi-Wan could feel the sweat beading on his forehead as he was turned roughly around yet another corner. It was hot beneath the hood and he ached from the occasional glance off a solid object, which, without the Force he was unable to detect until too late.

He had trained blindfolded before. Since his sight was taken he was relying on his other heightened senses. All around him, he could hear voices, marching footsteps, the sounds of orders being given, grumbles and grunts as two, no three people carried something heavy past him.

Obi-Wan was starting to think he knew where he was.

"Alright stop," the man's voice said at last.

Gratefully, Obi-Wan stopped. Someone brushed past him on the right, someone taller. Voices murmured a little way off, though Obi-Wan was at a loss at what they were saying. Then there was a loud hissing noise and the clanking of metal. Doors opening?

Obi-Wan felt a hand fasten around his arm, pulling him forwards across some sort of threshold. All of a sudden the hood was yanked off his head, the suddenness of the light making Obi-Wan wince and close his eyes a fraction.

He was in a rocky rectangular shaped chamber, which held a long wooden table with high backed chairs around it. Most were filled with various men and women all staring grimly at Obi-Wan. The room was lit by many flickering lights set in the craggy walls, but even then the room was gloomy and oppressive. It was also very warm but Obi-Wan spied various vents in the rock where fresh air was constantly being pumped in. There was only one door, the one he had entered through. Looking back over his shoulder he saw two guards had taken their place by the door.

That exit was now barred.

The Padawan did his best to hide his apprehension. However, there was no Force to release the feeling to and for a moment he felt panic surge up inside him. He could not do this. He wanted his Master here. No, he _needed _his Master here. Qui-Gon would know what to.

Obi-Wan was roughly positioned at the end of the table, staring straight along to its head where a man sat. He wore exactly the same as everyone else except the small white symbol over everyone else's hearts was emblazoned over his whole chest. The symbol now Obi-Wan saw was a circle with a diagonal line through it. The man's skin was olive and his eyes a bright startling blue. A white jagged scar passed from his left eye down to the centre of his cheek.

Karsten had disappeared. The man who had led Obi-Wan to the room sank into a seat on the right of the man who sat directly opposite Obi-Wan. The Padawan guessed the scar-faced man to be the leader of the operation.

The leader sat up straighter in his chair and leant forwards, setting his elbows on the table, steepling his fingers and resting his chin upon them. His eyes were directly fixed upon Obi-Wan.

"What is your name," he asked voice chilly in the warm room.

There was no reason to lie, Obi-Wan thought briefly so he told the truth. "Obi-Wan Kenobi."

The man's brows frowned. "You are not from Malrion,"

Obi-Wan nodded shortly. "I am from Coruscant."

The leader sat back in his chair and murmurings broke out from the men and women sitting around the table. He held up a hand to silence them.

"Are you a Jedi?" the leader asked.

Obi-Wan paused.

"One of the men who captured you reported that you threw him across the room with a wave of your hand," the leader leant forwards, steepling his fingers together, eyes concentrated on Obi-Wan. "That sounds remarkably like the ability Jedi possess if I am not mistaken."

"I am a Jedi," Obi-Wan replied stiffly, straightening as best he could. His hands were still bound before him and he felt his side twinge in protest but he tried ignored it. Now was not the time to show any weakness if he could help it. He would not deny being a Jedi. He was proud to be a Jedi. Proud to be Qui-Gon Jinn's Padawan. He would try to bring honour to his training.

_There is no try- there is do or do not _

The familiar mantra rose up from the back of Obi-Wan's mind, offering some comfort which he gratefully took. He squared his shoulders looking straight ahead. He would bring honour to his training.

"No matter, your powers are useless here," the man who had led Obi-Wan to the room spoke up. "We made sure of that. And any sign that you're regaining connection with this…Force…the dosage will be increased."

Obi-Wan blinked. Dosage? They had used Force inhibitors on him? He had heard of such things, rumours from back at the Temple, drugs and technology which left a Jedi without the presence of the Force. His headache was worsening. He needed the Force. Needed to feel its soothing presence, feel the glow of the bond he was beginning for forge with Qui-Gon.

"You look young to be a full Jedi," The women to the left of the leader seemed sarcastically amused. "You cannot be over sixteen standard years."

"An apprentice then?" someone else along the table suggested.

A low murmur ran around the people seated in front of Obi-Wan. He said nothing, but looked directly ahead.

"We order the capture of the Jedi and they come back with an apprentice. No matter. Perhaps it was for the best after all. Do you have a Master?" The scar faced leader asked.

Obi-Wan said nothing. Where was Qui-Gon? They could not have him too could they? The again, if they were asking if he had a Master, then it was plausible that they did not hold Qui-Gon captive. He did not reply to the question.

"Answer!" the woman shot at him, her eyes cold. "You caused enough damage when we captured you."

Obi-Wan hid a smile. He had not gone down without a fight- that was for certain.

"I've heard that the Jedi are excellent fighters," one man, further down the long table said, a tinge of curiosity in his voice. "I would like to see one fight." Murmuring agreements followed his words.

The leader held up his hand for silence and it fell effectively. "I want to know," he said, turning his full attention to Obi-Wan. "What are you doing here on Malrion?"

Obi-Wan again said nothing.

"Jedi I am going to make this simple. You will give me the answers I require. I'm not going to be patient with you. Time is short," the Leader leant forward. "Answer me."

"Who am I addressing?" Obi-Wan asked.

"We are the Freedom for Malrion. The rebels who blew up the air taxi outside the Airdrome earlier. We mean to take down the Government," Scarface replied coolly. "You will answer me, or you will be made an example of."

**This is a bit shorter than usual but more is coming! I landed in a bit of a snag- not knowing where I was really going with this story- it started well then I sort of…well, lost the plot? As in the file disappeared? And I cannot remember what I planned, which is sad because it was quite good. If anyone has suggestions to add to my alternative plot line I'd welcome them- they may end up jogging my memory! **

**Please review- hope you enjoyed!**

**AldabaranFox**


	6. Chapter 6

**My apologies for not updating sooner! I'm very sorry! I have been caught up with work, uni, Christmas, New Year, just to name a few things. The last few weeks have been quite stressful but hopefully I am back on track- with the next few chapters planned.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing here- not Qui-Gon or Obi-Wan. Raidon and the rebels are mine though :) **

******Enjoy- I hope it was worth the wait!**

******

* * *

**

**Chapter 6-Questions and More Questions**

_(In the Rebels' Hideout- Obi-Wan)_

"I demand to know what you are doing on Malrion!" the Leader of the Rebels thumped a fist on the table. "I am willing to extract the answers painfully if I must!"

Obi-Wan hid a flinch. If they saw that he was scared of them it would all be over. He tried to make his voice as steady as possible. Where was the comfort of the Force when he needed it? He felt chilled and his head pounded painfully. "I was sent to observe the elections on Malrion," he explained carefully.

"Lies!" the woman to the left of the leader spat, her face twisted in hatred. "Tell us the true purpose you were sent here! That coward Government hides behind the Jedi- using you as puppets whilst it continues with its master plan."

"A Jedi doesn't lie," Obi-Wan counted as calmly as possible.

The Leader waved a hand. "If you are not willing to comply…" Out of the corner of his eye, Obi-Wan spotted a man behind him step forwards from the dim corner of the room. In his hand he held a syringe, filled with some sort of pale blue, viscous liquid. Obi-Wan felt a cold sweat sweep over him. This was _not_ good.

The man with the syringe took another step forward. Obi-Wan saw the needle glitter in the light.

"But Kol- he's a child," one of the rebels who had not yet spoken, closest to Obi-Wan- seated at the bottom left of the table, suddenly protested.

Immediately, there was uproar at the other end of the table where the man who had led Obi-Wan into the room in the first place and the angry woman leapt to their feet- criticising their companion who shrank back in her seat, overwhelmed by the opposition from her fellow rebels. Other members of the table then flared up and it looked like a full scale argument was about to break out.

Obi-Wan looked more closely at the rebel seated at the table. A long black cloak hid any discernable body features and her hood was partially raised, hiding the colour of her hair. Obi-Wan studied the woman's face. He was sure he had seen someone similar, but struggled to remember where.

The leader- who Obi-Wan now realised was called Kol- called angrily for order. "I will give you one last chance Jedi. Tell me what I need to know."

Obi-Wan braced himself. "I was sent here to observe the peaceful elections of Malrion. That was my mission. I know of nothing else."

"So be it," Kol sat back in his chair. "Perhaps this will persuade you to talk more."

Two strong arms grabbed Obi-Wan pinning him down whilst the rebel came up behind him. Fear flitted strongly through Obi-Wan as he struggled against his captors- he didn't think he had been so scared in all his thirteen years. This wasn't meant to happen on his _first _mission! There was no way to know what they were injecting him with. More Force suppressant – or was it something nastier…

He felt a stinging prick on the left side of his neck and locked his eyes on Kol. He would show outwardly he was not afraid. He would be strong to the end.

_Master! Please- I need you! _

The three men stepped away from the swaying apprentice. Obi-Wan blinked foggily; already the drug was flooding his system- no matter how he tried to keep it at bay. His lose connection with the Force frustrated him more than ever as his movements grew sluggish. He was weak. That was the problem. Weakness.

His Master had obviously made a mistake in choosing him.

_Master…_

With the last helpless call in his mind, Obi-Wan collapsed to the hard, unforgiving floor, watched by the stony face of Kol and his rebel leaders.

* * *

(_Imperial Palace- w__ith Qui-Gon)_

"Master Jedi? Master Qui-Gon are you alright?"

Qui-Gon brought himself quickly from his reverie. He could have sworn for the briefest moment he had felt _something. _It had been faint, very faint- so much so if he wasn't meditating so deeply he might have missed it entirely. However small it was, it was recognizable.

It had to have been Obi-Wan.

_Obi-Wan! Padawan- speak to me! _Qui-Gon searched in vain for the source of the mental message but the voice was gone.

He was still alive. His Padawan was somewhere on Malrion, alive. Qui-Gon was sure of that. However faint it was, there was something of their bond at the back of their mind. It was still there. What worried Qui-Gon was the weakness of the message. It meant either two things: one- Obi-Wan was far away; two- Obi-Wan was hurt. Worry gnawed at the insides of the Jedi Master as he contemplated what the rebels could possibly want with his thirteen year old apprentice. The boy was…just a boy.

Upon hearing the Captain's voice again, Qui-Gon looked up to see Raidon's concerned face studying him from the doorway. Qui-Gon had returned to his quarters to meditate after looking through the meagre files the Government had collected on the Rebels. There was very little of use in any of the data chips he and the Captain had studied.

"Yes I'm fine," Qui-Gon replied, rising smoothly to his feet. "Have you heard anything?"

The Captain stepped fully into the room. "A patrol party has picked up some information on a potential rebel hideout in the city. I wondered whether you would like to join us Master Jedi. We might learn something if we do."

Qui-Gon considered the suggestion. He might get wind of news of Obi-Wan. "When do we leave?" he asked.

"The patrol left a few moments ago- I have the co-ordinates of their destination," Raidon said confidently.

* * *

_(Obi-Wan)_

When Obi-Wan came to, he immediately wished he had not. His head hurt worse than before- an agonising ache which would not relent. Desperately, he tried to reach out to the Force only to feel it slip like sand grains through his fingertips. A roll of nausea welled up in protest and he battled hard to keep it down.

Mercifully, he was in a darkened room; though he could still only manage to keep his eyes open like slits. Lying flat on his back on a thin blanket of some sort he guessed, as his fingers scrunched the material beside him. His side still ached. In fact all the Padawan could feel was pain. And loneliness. He missed the new yet familiar presence of his Master at the back of his mind- usually only a thought away but now seemingly like a galaxy away.

_Master…please…_

Their bond was silent. No words of wisdom came filtering through, no support of any kind. The Padawan was utterly alone.

A shaft of light suddenly fell across his body and the nerve endings in his eyes screamed as Obi-Wan slammed them shut, a quiet groan passing his lips. He couldn't do this, he couldn't. He wished he was stronger. Wished he was better than this.

"Obi-Wan?" a voice whispered- close to his left side.

Recognizing the voice- Obi-Wan opened his eyes a fraction. Karsten was kneeling beside him, a tin cup clutched in one hand. "Do you think you can drink? It's just water," he asked the weak Padawan.

Swallowing around his parched throat, Obi-Wan nodded and with the younger boy's aid sat up slowly, one hand on his pounding skull as he did so. He sighed in relief as the cool liquid soothed his dry mouth and throat, gulping the water gratefully.

Karsten watched the older boy drink, wishing he could do more to help. When he had heard what Leader Kol had done to the Jedi Padawan, Karsten had been shocked and worried. The Padawan had not been very strong leaving for the interrogation.

"Better?" Karsten asked gingerly, taking back the cup once Obi-Wan was finished.

Obi-Wan nodded slowly, mindful of his head. "How long…how long was I out?"

Karsten glanced at the chrono on his wrist. "They brought you back here about three hours ago," he explained. "They injected you with something."

"I know," Obi-Wan agreed, gently probing the area where the needle had broken the skin on his neck with careful fingers. It was sore but not the most painful point in his body. His head won that by miles, followed closely by his side. "Why are you here?"

The younger boy blinked. "I only wanted to help," he said in a hurt tone, wincing at the cold tone in the injured boy's voice.

Obi-Wan sighed. Sincerity rang in Karsten's words- he didn't need the Force to determine that. Before he could say anything more, the shaft of light illuminating a thin strip of the room widened dramatically as the door was fully opened.

"Leader Kol wants to see you." It was the man from before, the one seated on the right of Kol. The cold eyes of the rebel second-in-command fixed grimly on the Padawan. Obi-Wan barely suppressed a shudder.

Karsten rose, "Jago- he's not yet recovered," he protested.

Jago frowned and raised a hand threateningly. "He's coming now- whether he's better or not," he thundered, making Obi-Wan's head ring. Karsten shrank back in submission and fear. Jago stepped forward. "On your feet Jedi," he kicked Obi-Wan's leg none too gently.

Painstakingly slowly, Obi-Wan stood, Karsten supporting him. The thirteen year old swayed unsteadily on his feet, lurching forward a step as his legs felt like jelly beneath him. Jago rolled his eyes, indicating for Karsten to help the weak Padawan back to the interrogation room.

Ten minutes later, Obi-Wan was back in front of Kol and his commanding rebels. Jago had slipped back into his seat and Karsten hovered behind Obi-Wan ready to support him. However, the Jedi Padawan still had his tattered pride and stood by himself, muscled tensed in an attempt to keep upright.

"Are you willing to speak now?" Kol asked, eyes glittering.

"I told you…I don't know…anything about what the Government wants," Obi-Wan said through gritted teeth. "I don't even know…what you want!"

"To free Malrion from the tyranny of its present rulers!" the woman, (who Karsten had informed Obi-Wan, was called Zariya) stated as though this was obvious. "Their lies and scheming have gone too far. The people suffer and it is our duty to set them free!"

Obi-Wan's battered brain tried to process this information. "What…what have they done?"

A quiet buzz went round the table as the rebels looked between each other, a sudden reluctance to say anything to this outsider evident in their body language as they looked at the Jedi Padawan with mistrust in their eyes.

"The Government is corrupt," Kol said at length. "They steal from their own people. Sell precious ores, agricultural produce, carbon and other supplies to an off-world company. They keep the profits and live in luxury whilst the common man has to work extra hard for his living. They have ruled for the last two decades and Malrion has suffered enough!"

Obi-Wan blinked. The Government was doing such a thing? How had no one noticed this?

Kol seemed to guess Obi-Wan's unspoken question. "They are clever. Very clever. Only a little at a time- from different sectors. Their people have the highest jobs- so no questions are asked. The company is fronted by a Malrion based one. Nobody knows."

"Why hasn't anyone done anything?" Obi-Wan asked at length, taking a steading breath as nausea rose from the pit of his stomach and his face paled. He shook his head discreetly at Karsten who had stepped forward to help him.

A stony silence met Obi-Wan's question. An interesting flicker of emotions raced across Kol's face, his scar twitching as his lip curled in contempt. "My brother was leader of this group before me." There was more than just the words he had spoken. Obi-Wan caught the implication.

A failed rebellion.

"We were crushed by the Imperial Guard," Zariya said angrily. "Our leader was killed before us and they chased us into these caves, into the darkness. Now we are ready to face them again!" Conviction rang in every word.

"You are…planning an uprising?" Obi-Wan asked guardedly. The rebels were unlikely to divulge their plans.

"We will raid the Imperial Palace tonight," Kol said hardheartedly. "And you are our insurance policy- little Jedi."

* * *

(_With Qui-Gon and Captain Raidon)_

"We are approaching the co-ordinates," Raidon said, checking his scanner. "Right around this-" The rapid sound of blaster fire cut through what he had been about to say as male shouting and a woman's scream broke out around the street corner the two men were approaching.

Reaching out with the Force- Qui-Gon sensed the patrol party as well as a surge of fear from another source. Hand on his lightsaber hilt, Qui-Gon and the Captain hurried towards the disturbance. On turning the corner, Qui-Gon saw the patrol's hovercraft a little way off; the soldiers were now surrounding a terraced house where a man and his family of six were kneeling on the cobbles outside, hands on the heads. All the other doors and windows along the street were tightly closed as the neighbours hid in their houses, unwilling to get caught up in the trouble.

Qui-Gon looked at the family before him. The youngest was barely two years old, leaning against her mother's skirts in confusion, the oldest child, a boy was little older than Obi-Wan. That thought dragged up the familiar worry the Jedi was trying hard to not focus upon. Suddenly, one solider roughly punched the man in the face and he collapsed, a cry rising up from his family as blood poured from his nose.

"Wait! Soldier- what's going on here?" Raidon demanded as he and Qui-Gon walked up to the group. "Blasters down!"

One of the soldiers turned to Raidon- noticing his rank and saluted sharply, the rest following suit. "We have apprehended one of the rebels sir," he reported crisply. "This man has dealings with them. He is to come with us back to the Palace for questioning."

Qui-Gon picked up something more sinister in the soldier's words. He glanced at the man's wife who was smoothing down the blonde girls of her youngest whilst gripping the hand of the small boy beside her. "He hasn't done anything!" she protested.

One soldier moved to hit the woman and Qui-Gon grabbed the man's hand swiftly, preventing the hit from landing. The soldier looked surprised, but didn't doubt the strength behind the grip as the Jedi Master's cool eyes landed on him. "Leave her alone," Qui-Gon said.

"Sir- honest- I don't know these rebels- I don't know what this is about!" the man said thickly, glancing between Qui-Gon and Raidon, using his own sleeve to stem the blood flow.

"Have you had any dealings with the rebels?" Raidon asked commandingly.

"No!"

"Do you know the location of the rebels' base?"

"No!"

"Do you know anything of the rebels' plans?"

"What? No!"

Raidon glanced sideways at Qui-Gon for anything further. "He is telling the truth," Qui-Gon said simply, having used a light manipulation of the Force to ascertain the man's sincerity. "He knows nothing of the rebels and their activities."

The man sagged back in relief, thanking the Jedi and the Captain gratefully for supporting his innocence. His wife sobbing quietly as she hugged her children to her.

Raidon nodded curtly. "Solider- let this man and his family go," he ordered.

"But sir!" the solider protested. "We were told by the First Minister to arrest this man! We can't go against his orders! And how do you know he's telling the truth?"

"Just clear out soldiers," Raidon demanded. "I'll talk to the First Minister about this. Move out!"

Grumbling under their breath- clearly irritated to have lost their supposed quarry, the soldiers marched back to their hovercraft, some shooting scornful looks at the Jedi and the Captain of the Guard as the engine roared to life and they left the street.

The man got shakily to his feet, "Thank you so much sirs," he bowed low before Raidon and Qui-Gon.

Raidon caught the man's shoulder and raised him straight again. "I am sorry for the pain they caused you and your family. I had no idea the patrols were rounding up people like this…"

Helping his wife and children up, the man nodded. "It has been like this for the last two weeks. People have been taken from their families and homes and taken away for questioning. We have not heard from them since and everyone is scared."

"Who authorised this?" Qui-Gon asked.

"It would have had to go through Chief Ambassador Klone and the First Minister," Raidon said in an undertone. "I had no idea…"

Meanwhile, the man had ushered his quivering family back into their house, making sure they were all alright. He turned back to shake his saviours hands. As Qui-Gon moved forwards the man caught sight of the lightsaber clipped underneath his cloak. He gasped. "You are a Jedi?"

Qui-Gon nodded.

"We had heard that one of the Jedi visiting Malrion was captured," the man said in an undertone, leaning closer.

Qui-Gon's brow narrowed. "What do you know?"

The man looked up and down the street nervously, just in case the soldiers were still present. Raidon waved for him to continue as the three men stood close to each other. "It's only rumours- from the servants up at the Palace- some of them live down here. They said that one Jedi was snatched from the Palace by the rebels."

"Do you know where they have taken him?" Qui-Gon asked urgently.

"They want to use the Jedi as collateral damage to get the Government to agree to their demands," the man said quietly. "Apart from that…I know nothing else."

Qui-Gon closed his eyes briefly.

_Obi-Wan…_

_

* * *

_

**Sorry to leave it there! The next chapter will hopefully be up very soon :) I hope you all enjoyed and it was worth waiting for (fingers crossed!) **

**Please review and tell me what you think :)**

**AldabaranFox**


	7. Chapter 7

I don't think I've ever updated this quickly! Haha! Thank you for all your wonderful comments on the last chapter- they really got me back into writing :) Thanks to Dudeette- I couldn't reply to yours but thank you!

**This chapter is actually longer than I thought it was going to be...so I had to edit it a bit more :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with Star Wars. Except Raidon in this story. And Viza. And the many rebels :D**

**Edit: 7/2/2011: Made a minor change to some parts to make it fit better with next chapter :)**

**Enjoy!**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 7- Infiltration**

_(With Obi-Wan- rebel base)_

"How does infiltrating…the Palace get you…anything?" Obi-Wan asked Kol, fighting to keep himself standing. He felt stronger; the drug in his system was not as potent as it had been half an hour ago. The pain in his head was dulling by a fraction. That, or Obi-Wan thought grimly- he was just growing accustomed to it.

_Concentrate Kenobi. If you want to find out anything focus! Your focus determines your reality…_the old saying gave him some comfort.

"We will hold the Government hostage and demand they give up office," Zariya said.

Obi-Wan could not help but raise an eyebrow at the incredulously foolhardy and ambitious plan. "Then?" He immediately regretted his bold question as two guards stepped up threateningly behind him. To his surprise, Kol waved them back, as though interested to hear what the young Jedi had to say on the matter.

"By storming the Palace…many will die," Obi-Wan began slowly. "There has to be a way to avoid…bloodshed."

Kol laughed, though the action did not reach his eyes. "There is no way to stop the bloodshed. They have brought it upon themselves when they slaughtered the peaceful protestors before us. This is our revenge for our fallen brethren."

"Getting in will be… impossible," Obi-Wan said. He blinked. They weren't going to torture him for information on the Palace layout were they? He really knew _nothing _about that. He took a calming breath. _Don't get ahead of yourself…one step at a time now…_

Jago snorted. "We have insiders in the Palace. Do you think we were so foolish little Jedi to have not planned this? This has been in preparation for months. Since before the Government thought to bring in Jedi to protect themselves. You have been a nuisance but we must continue."

"What… of me then?" Obi-Wan asked cautiously.

"You are coming with us," Kol said coldly. "We have decided it most likely your Master will want you back. He will want you back at any cost."

"Not…not at a cost… to his mission," Obi-Wan replied without hesitating. Qui-Gon would first be true to the mission. And Obi-Wan, though afraid, would not have asked his Master for anything else. Now their mission was complex Obi-Wan didn't know what to think.

"I'm sure we can persuade him," Zariya smirked. "After all- nobody likes to see a child in pain."

Obi-Wan nearly bristled at being called a child. He was a Jedi Padawan- and thirteen! That wasn't a child. However, he was trapped between a rock and a hard place here. Qui-Gon would put the mission first and the rebels would simply do away with Obi-Wan when they found out his uselessness.

"Let me talk to… my Master," Obi-Wan suggested suddenly. He cursed inwardly as the Force slipped from his grasp yet again as he attempted to strengthen his proposition. "If you have evidence for this deceit…the Galactic Senate-"

"-Won't have anything to do with us!" Jago laughed grimly. "You are too idealistic boy. And why would we let you run back to your Master-to tell them of our position no doubt."

Obi-Wan shook his head to protest- wincing at the increased throbbing in his skull as he did so.

Before he could speak Kol began. "Take him away- we've important preparations to make for tomorrow." Kol snapped his fingers and two rebel guards immediately flanked Obi-Wan before leading him out of the chamber. Karsten followed a few steps behind and the doors to the rebel command room slid shut with a hiss behind them.

* * *

_(With Qui-Gon and Raidon)_

"Master Jinn!"

Qui-Gon recognized the voice that hailed him as he and Raidon marched through one of the extravagantly embellished corridors of the Imperial Palace. With white marble columns on either side, streaked with black minerals, stretching to support the enormous high ceiling above them, large floor to ceiling windows and beautiful works of art on the wall; this corridor and the others were the height of decadence. A stark contrast to the houses in the city outside.

"Chief Advisor Klone," Qui-Gon acknowledged, with a nod of his head. Raidon beside him saluted stiffly. Klone indicated that they keep walking, the pace slower this time as the Advisor revelled in the splendour around them, pointing out his favourite tapestries and artworks.

"I hear you went out into the city with a patrol," Klone said at last as they entered his office a few minutes later.

Qui-Gon nodded. "I wished to assess for myself the nature of the rebels you talk about. I found very little in your data banks." He folded his hands serenely into the sleeves of his dark brown Jedi cloak.

Klone seated himself behind his desk. "I also hear Captain Raidon that you overstepped your jurisdiction in allowing the prisoner to go free." His tone towards the Imperial Captain was now biting, as it had been civil towards the Jedi Master before.

"Chief Advisor- the man was innocent," Raidon began to make his case.

"How do you know? You doubt the painstaking intelligence collected on this man? How do you think we are going to be able to defeat these rebels if you let them off free like that?" Klone barked.

"The man was innocent," Qui-Gon repeated, feeling the silent thanks that the Captain beside him sent him. "He had no interactions with your rebel group."

"How do you know?" Klone asked, leaning forwards. "I'm sure they all say they are innocent."

"The Force told me," Qui-Gon answered simply. "The man did not lie."

Surprised at the answer, Klone leant back in his seat, pondering his next move carefully. The Jedi and Captain stood tall and straight in front of his desk, their expressions revealing nothing. Klone tapped his fingers lightly on the arm of his chair. Jedi weren't supposed to lie- he knew this from his reading. And the Jedi did not know anything.

"Then it is as you say," Klone smiled, spreading his hands. "We must have made a mistake with this one. I will be sure to send an apology to this man and his family for the…inconvenience caused by the soldiers." The Advisor watched as the Captain's shoulders slumped slightly in relief. The Jedi revealed no emotion. "But Captain- I would appreciate it if you spent more time guarding this Palace then gallivanting out in the city. Perhaps then we wouldn't lose any more guests to these rebels. How goes the search for the missing Padawan? You have still not found any insider in the Palace have you?"

The insult was thinly disguised and Qui-Gon sensed the indignation and embarrassment rolling off the Captain in waves. "Please allow me to step up the search," Raidon said, reigning in his anger. "I will find this intruder- and the Padawan."

Qui-Gon felt the conviction behind the last part of Raidon's words more directed at himself and nodded discreetly at the Captain. _Obi-Wan…_In any spare moment he could, Qui-Gon had spent it in deep meditation in order to reign in his impatience at the lack of leads as to his Padawan's whereabouts. He had not woken refreshed. Now his emotions were stretched taught. He wanted to be out searching for his Padawan. He felt somehow he was letting the boy down.

And who knew what the rebels would do to a young boy when they were able to blow up Imperial taxis without a second thought?

Klone waved a hand standoffishly. "Go Captain. I want that insider found. And when they are- they _will_ pay."

Raidon nodded tightly, saluted once and pivoted on his heel, striding out of the embellished office, leaving Qui-Gon alone with the Chief Advisor. Klone offered a smile. "I would like to thank you Master Jinn -for your help with matters today."

"It was my duty," Qui-Gon replied smoothly. There was something not right- Qui-Gon didn't need the Force for that judgement.

Klone pulled a stack of data files towards himself, bringing their meeting to an end. "Master Jinn- the First Minister would like to extend an invitation for our celebratory feast tomorrow night - I hope you will find time to attend. It's in the Main Hall. Many delegates will be there, we would be most pleased for you to join us."

_A celebratory feast? What could there be to celebrate? _Qui-Gon thought, resisting the urge to reveal his thoughts out loud. "I would be honoured," the Master said instead, complementing it with a short bow. "Now if you will excuse me, I must continue the search for my Padawan."

"By all means," Klone agreed. "By all means."

* * *

Qui-Gon had just left Klone's ostentatious quarters when he spotted the Advisor's assistant Viza approaching him. He was intent on just giving a small nod of recognition as she passed when she reached out to stop his stride.

"Master Jinn- I think I've found something," she said quietly, checking behind the large Jedi to make sure no one had overheard her.

Qui-Gon's brow furrowed. "Found what?" he prompted just as discreetly. "You have news of Obi-Wan?"

Viza looked worried for a moment, shook her head but beckoned the Jedi Master to follow her. Qui-Gon felt his heart sink slightly, but found no warning from the Force, so he followed, his cloak flapping around his ankles as he kept up with her. Viza led the Jedi Master to the Imperial Palace's grand library. They walked down the rows of holo-books and recordings, past a few officials quietly talking. They arrived at an empty area near the older archives.

Quickly, Viza accessed a free terminal, typing in her authorisation codes and scanned her fingerprints. Once in, she began to move things across the holo-screen, accessing documents and files. She drew one up and allowed Qui-Gon to look at it.

The Jedi Master peered closer, keen eyes easily picking out the details. The document was the recordings of the current election poll leads by the various people running against the Government. Qui-Gon scanned the rows of numbers and percentages.

"The Government have a clear majority," he said, standing back.

Viza nodded.

"Is that unusual?" Qui-Gon asked.

"This region is unusual," Viza said, pointing out the area on a map of Malrion she brought up on the holo screen. "I was looking at it earlier. Here the Government has virtually no support from the people- they support the opposition leader. Yet still the Government won this area's votes by quite a margin. I cannot think that those people would suddenly all vote for the First Minister when they made their case so strongly against him."

Qui-Gon glanced at Viza. "That isn't enough to prove anything," he said gently. "It's one case."

"That's happening everywhere," Viza said. "Look at all the records. Anywhere where the opposition have strong support- they have barely registered in the polls. It doesn't make sense."

Qui-Gon's brow furrowed as he looked again. The Advisor's aid was right. None of the opposition parties were anywhere close to rivalling the amount of support the Government was amassing. Virtually the whole planet was voting for the First Minister to stay in power. Something struck Qui-Gon as being a little suspicious.

"And this," Viza began, her tone hushed. "I'm not supposed to see this but I stumbled across it on Klone's desk a week back. It's some of the accounts for Malrion."

Qui-Gon looked over her shoulder as she brought up the spread sheets, flicking across the screen rapidly. "There are gaps in the records," Viza began to explain. "Money is coming in- but it doesn't say where from. Money that is funding the First Minister's campaign that is coming from nowhere- it just appears."

"What's that?" Qui-Gon asked pointing to something that caught his eye.

"A planet-wide company based on Malrion, called IntraGral," Viza said, accessing the specifics. "It takes in a large amount of Malrion's resources." She typed in a command. "…Nothing comes up for it," she said, puzzled. "There's no central warehouse, no details, nothing…" Her long fingers flew across the keys, inserting more commands. The computer came up empty.

Qui-Gon scrolled over the data. Much of the planet's wealth seemed to be heading towards this company. He glanced back across at the funds incoming to the First Minister's campaign. Viza followed his search, her eyes narrowing.

"They are taking IntraGral's income to fund their campaign?" Viza whispered.

"Not just that," Qui-Gon said. "I've seen this before. Something tells me IntraGral isn't a company at all. It's a façade for the real company. I doubt this company even exists on Malrion. We're most likely dealing with an off-world conglomerate."

Viza's jaw nearly dropped. "But everyone's heard of IntraGral," she began. "They manufacture products and buy in shares. The company is everywhere here on Malrion. They do advertisements, sponsorships…"

"When was this company set up?" Qui-Gon asked.

"About fifteen years or so ago," Viza said. Her face suddenly went very pale, drawing Qui-Gon's concern. She took a deep breath. "Master Jinn…" she looked around, double checking there was no one around to overhear them. "This now isn't the first uprising we've had here on Malrion with the rebels," she began.

Qui-Gon could see where this was leading.

"About twelve years ago there was an uprising, led by a man called Zane. He said there was something not right with the way the planet's wealth was being distributed. We were producing vast amounts of raw materials at the time but the people never seemed to get much back. The Government grew richer. However- the uprising was brutally put down…"

Qui-Gon nodded. "He must have realised what was going on here."

"So this Government is taking the people's work…funnelling it through a fake company and taking the profits for themselves?" Viza surmised. "And Zane knew…"

* * *

_(The next day- Obi-Wan's cell)_

Grimacing, his back aching, Obi-Wan stretched his arms above his head as much as his bound hands allowed him to. He was not comfortable. Sleeping on a thin mat in his rocky cell, Obi-Wan had been given very little to eat and his stomach growled in protest as it rubbed it soothingly. Without a chrono the Padawan simply didn't know how much time had passed since he'd been locked in. He'd had no contact with anyone since being led back to his cell after the interrogation with the rebel leaders. It could have been hours or even days- being underground with very little light it was impossible to tell what time of day it was. Karsten had been in to deliver a meagre meal and water but apart from that Obi-Wan had been left alone.

He'd never been this alone before. With the Force you were never alone. Obi-Wan was without and therefore utterly alone. He wondered how long it would take before he went mad. He'd heard the stories, the nightmarish stories where terrible-

_Stop it Kenobi! _Mentally Obi-Wan shook himself. He couldn't just frighten himself on the possibilities of what might happen. He could be rescued still before any of this. He trusted his Master. Qui-Gon would come for him. Unless the Master thought he was dead and there was no point-

Obi-Wan sighed. All his thoughts at the moment were leading down dark negative ends he really didn't want to explore.

A loud scraping sound made Obi-Wan jump. Disgusted at his lack of awareness he watched as the door to his cell opened and Karsten peered round.

"I thought you might be hungry again," Karsten explained, bringing in food. "You'll need your strength- they're attacking the Palace in a couple of hours." At least that gave Obi-Wan a rough idea of what time it was. The rebels were to attack the Palace at night the day after he'd spoken to them. That was a long time being alone in the cell.

He ate the food without talking. Karsten seemed to understand the Padawan's mood. "I'm sure it will go well," he tried.

"Many will die," Obi-Wan disagreed. "There are better methods than this fighting."

Karsten's eyes widened at the words of wisdom coming from this boy not much older than him. "But there is nothing else that can be done," he said sadly. "The Government will not listen – they are too powerful."

The door to the cell opened again and the broad figure of Jago appeared. "Get him ready," he instructed Karsten brusquely.

"Can I come too?" Karsten asked.

Jago frowned. "I've explained already little brother. It's not the place for you. You are to stay here-understand me?"

Karsten's shoulders slumped in defeat.

"Now- five minutes and the group will be leaving," Jago turned to leave.

Obi-Wan had straightened to look with interest between the two brothers when Jago had revealed the connection between him and Karsten. He had never noticed the similar facial structure or dark coloured hair that they both shared.

Karsten grumbled to himself as Obi-Wan finished eating. "I bought a spare tunic for you to change," he said at length, bringing it out for Obi-Wan. He deactivated the cuffs on Obi-Wan's wrists whilst the Padawan changed and flexed his hands, allowing the blood to circulate more easily, the pin pricking sensation in his fingers distracting.

"Come- they'll be waiting," Karsten said, helping Obi-Wan to his feet. They exited the cell, Obi-Wan's eyes moving quickly around the tunnel. It was one of the few times he had not been blindfolded whilst being moved around the rebel base. Up ahead there were two people talking quietly, both hooded and cloaked. As they passed Obi-Wan saw a woman's face underneath one of the hoods. His eyes widened.

He recognized her from the Imperial Palace.

Being pulled along and unable to linger, Obi-Wan was forced onwards to where the small hovercrafts were waiting to take the infiltrating team to the Imperial Palace. Hands tightly bound to prevent anything, Obi-Wan was roughly pushed on board, Jago keeping a close eye on him, blaster pointed directly at the Padawan.

"One wrong move…" he warned as he slipped a blindfold over the young boy's eyes plunging him into darkness.

Obi-Wan took the message to heart. At least he was heading towards the Imperial Palace- where his Master was. If he could somehow use all his energy, cry out across their bond some sort of warning…perhaps he wouldn't be such a failure after all.

Quietly, the engines softly thrumming the group took off, the tension and supressed energy quivering in the air.

* * *

"Up now, get up," Jago was nudging him hard in the ribs. Carefully, Obi-Wan rose, grateful when the blindfold was tugged off of his head. It was twilight; the sun was setting beyond the taller buildings surrounding the Imperial Palace. Obi-Wan was impressed the rebels had gotten this far. They were more prepared than he had given them credit.

Obi-Wan watched as Kol moved past him, blaster strapped to his hip. All the rebels wore the same clothing to identify each other. Quiet whisperings were stamped out as Zariya snapped out at two younger rebels.

They had landed at one of the back entrances to the Imperial Palace. Obi-Wan was herded up a flight of stairs, Jago right behind him. The rebels moved in closely, the ones at the back forming a rear guard as the front ones peered cautiously around corners before waving the rest of the group forward.

Suddenly, something tugged at Obi-Wan's mind, like an echo of a Force warning. Without further thought he pushed the rebel to the ground in front of him. The man fell in surprise with a grunt just as a blaster bolt whipped over their heads, smashing into the wall beside them.

"What are you-" Jago had hissed as Obi-Wan had reacted immediately but the rebel soon realised what was going on. They had been ambushed from the side. A group of guards had spotted the rebel group.

"Get moving- down the next corridor!" Kol ordered- firing and hitting a guard with a stun bolt. Their aim was to silence the guards and move on quickly. Zariya took out two guards with impressive skill the Padawan noted as she ran crouched down past her leader.

Obi-Wan ducked again as another bolt sailed over his head. What he would do to have his lightsaber and the Force back with him! The rebels methodically fired and retreated to a safer location. Jago took his chance and moved around the corner as Kol fired again.

There it was again- That odd tugging sensation! Maybe the Force was coming back to him- however slowly. Obi-Wan looked around- trying to ascertain the Force's warning. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a Palace guard creeping up on them, take aim and fire.

It was a split second decision. Obi-Wan knew who the blaster bolt was flying towards. He also knew it would be very un- Jedi-like to allow it to hit its target when he could prevent it. With that thought ringing through his mind, Obi-Wan shoved Kol down and out of the way as bright, hot, white pain flared through Obi-Wan's body: a harsh cry escaping his lips as the Jedi Padawan tumbled to the ground.

* * *

**There's another very evil cliffhanger...sorry people! You're going to have to review to find out what happened to poor Obi! ****Anyways- hope you guys enjoyed- the next chapter should be up in a couple of days- after Tuesday when my lab report is due in...which I haven't yet finished. The things I do...haha!**

**AldabaranFox**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello! Next installment all ready! By the way- I went back and amended the last bit of the pervious chapter- changing a few tiny details to make it fit better with this chapter. Whilst writing it- I checked over chap 7 and decided to crank up the pain factor for poor Obi. Bad me. But it'll all work out in the end- I promise you!**

**Thanks to everyone who has read/alerted/favourited/reviewed this story so far :) love to you all!**

**Disclaimer: No owning of any of the Star Wars universe sadly :(**

**Enjoy!**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 8- Bridging Broken Bonds**

_(Qui-Gon- Imperial Palace Banquet)_

Qui-Gon sat down with Advisor Klone on his right. For some reason, the Jedi Master wasn't hungry as the lavish banquet was laid out by servants and the guests and politicians leant forward in eager anticipation to sample the delicacies. In actual fact Qui-Gon was well aware of the reason to why he was eating very little. He couldn't help feeling this was all a big waste of time: time that could be spent looking for Obi-Wan. This distracting banquet was clouding his senses, with all the decadence and finery being thrown his way. The officials were all magnificently dressed in fine robes, their slender bodies wrapped in fine silks and gossamers. Qui-Gon's standard Jedi issue clothing looked drab in comparison.

To be polite, Qui-Gon took a few small pieces to place on his plate, whilst the others tucked in around him. The elusive First Minister had made an appearance, sitting on the other side of Klone at the head of the table, busy talking to some dignitary to his other side.

The banquet was being held in the large grand dining hall, with a soaring ceiling, held up by enormous marble columns. The long table was dwarfed by the size of the room and Qui-Gon felt exposed. Something was niggling at the back of his mind, something foreboding.

Klone must have picked up on the Jedi Master's solemn frame of mind. "Master Jinn- are you unwell? You have hardly touched the food," the Chief Advisor observed, swallowing a tasty morsel. He snapped his fingers and a servant materialised behind him, bearing a tray. "You must try these- they are divine!"

Reservedly, Qui-Gon refused, instead looking up at the balcony which ran around the perimeter of the rectangular room a floor level up, overlooking the banquet, where guards were patrolling. The security had been stepped up- Raidon had informed Qui-Gon of his plans. With so many officials- it was likely that the rebels would attempt something. Raidon was confident he and his men were ready for anything.

However, Qui-Gon had not yet told Raidon of the evidence he and Viza had uncovered. He had meditated on the discovery but found enlightenment on the matter difficult. So, reigning in his impatience, Qui-Gon decided to wait and watch for solid, incriminating proof.

Without warning, a sharp flare of pain burst through Qui-Gon's consciousness, forcing an explosive gasp from his lungs at its intensity. Out of habit and well trained reflexes, the Master threw up a barrage of mental shields as the pain ripped through his mind. Struggling to contain the surprising outburst, he noted distractedly he was being watched by several alarmed politicians seated around him. Waving away their concerns, Qui-Gon fought for breath, controlling himself once again, at least on the outside.

Where had that pain suddenly come from? Using the Force to check his own body and mind, the Master found himself unharmed- he was in no danger- thinking at first he was under some sort of mental attack. But it was not so- he had not been attacked. It was not his pain.

_Obi-Wan…_

Obi-Wan was in pain. The thought nearly forced the Jedi Master to jump from his seat- protocol aside- and find the boy. His Padawan was hurt- he could feel it through the bond. For that brief instance, Qui-Gon had felt a wall of pain flood along the bond he and Obi-Wan shared. From not even feeling their mental connection for days now- to suddenly feel it burst to life and in such agony- it made Qui-Gon feel ill. He _had _to find him. But at last this was tangible proof Obi-Wan was alive.

"Master Jinn- you look ill," the First Minister glanced at Qui-Gon, whose face had gone remarkably pale.

"I'm quite well," Qui-Gon assured him. "But I'm afraid I must beg your pardon and leave-"

"Nonsense- the main course hasn't even arrived," Klone frowned. "I insist you stay just a bit longer Master Jinn. Advisor Wei wanted to discuss the hyperspace trading lanes with you." Indeed, Advisor Wei looked quite eager to discuss the subject Qui-Gon noted as the man leant forward to engage him in conversation.

Sending as much comfort and healing along the bond as he could, Qui-Gon gritted his teeth in frustration at being metaphorically chained to the room. He needed to leave- _wanted_ to leave to find Obi-Wan, assure himself that the boy was alright.

_/Obi-Wan? Obi-Wan please hear me! Are you alright?/_

Nothing came back along the bond to the Master- not even a flicker of pain or flash of recognition. It was as if for that brief moment it had erupted into life and then died down again. That couldn't mean…

* * *

_(Somewhere in the Imperial Palace- Obi-Wan)_

Obi-Wan struggled not to cry out, writhing on the floor as pain flooded through his system, paralysing his mind for a few moments as he inwardly screamed, the edges of his vision blackening as he fought to remain conscious. Force that pain was immense. The shot had been poorly aimed and the blaster bolt had smashed into the back of his leg, millimetres from the knee cap, embedding itself and shattering bone and slicing through muscle as it went.

_/Master!/ _Obi-Wan cried out mentally in anquish. _It hurts, Sith curses it hurts!_ Obi-Wan could not remember ever feeling such pain. Not even the day he had become Qui-Gon's Padawan back in the Temple after facing off Sony-Da.

Kol, furious for being shoved at, whirled around, understanding immediately registering as the Jedi apprentice collapsed to the ground with a tight scream, fingers scrabbling at his right leg. Kol's eyes widened in surprise as he saw the injury and reacted swiftly to stun the guard who had shot the boy.

The boy had taken the fire for him- pushed him- Kol the enemy out of the line of the shot. Kol couldn't quite understand the logic behind that as he gingerly knelt beside the wounded Jedi. So the stories were true? There really were such beings as the supposed self-sacrificing Jedi who did things for the good of the galaxy? The boy couldn't be older than fourteen standard years- and yet he showed courage where others would have allowed, or simply not realised their leader was about to be hit.

Zariya peered around the corner and took out the last guard as Kol stayed beside the wounded Jedi, reaching out towards him, in a very unusual display of emotion. "Come on- hurry up!" she hissed, waving to her leader.

"He's injured," Kol said as one of the rebels with a med kit hurried to his side.

"We don't have time!" Zariya argued, eyes narrowing. "Leave the boy- he's not important!"

"He's our bargaining chip if anything goes wrong!" Kol snapped, easily sliding back into the role of commander, watching as the boy's face paled to alabaster white as the rebel treating his wound inexpertly probed it, sifting through his kit. "Can we move him?"

"It's a bad injury," the rebel said, as Obi-Wan clamped down on his lips to stop the scream of pain giving away their position. If only he had been allowed his lightsaber- he could have easily deflected the shot. Was the pain worth it to stick to his morals and duty?

"The next patrol will be around the corner in minutes!" Jago had come back, checking his chrono. "We take him now- or we have to silence him till it's all over."

"He comes with us now!" Kol's tone was final and Jago nodded curtly.

"I can move," Obi-Wan muttered through gritted teeth. "But please…remove the Force inhibitor." Without the Force to dull and help control the pain, Obi-Wan was helpless and in agony, unable to release his feelings and emotions. He would very likely- go mad.

Then he felt it, for the briefest second: a tendril of comfort and soothing in the back of his mind, dampening the pain for one, glorious, heavenly moment. For that moment, Obi-Wan felt lighter than air as all his muscles relaxed and the tension unwound.

That wasn't the only thing that made Obi-Wan's heart leap. He would recognized that Force signature anyway.

His Master. Qui-Gon had felt him for an instant. Had felt his need for help.

_/Master!/ _Obi-Wan cried out mentally. He almost sobbed in relief as he scoured the back of his mind in an attempt to retrace and strengthen the mental link. _/Please Master help me!/ _Was he gradually becoming more aware of the Force again? It was there- Obi-Wan could feel it. Not as strongly as he would have liked but more than he had felt in days. It was as though Qui-Gon's thoughts had brushed away the cobwebs in his mind, allowing the Force to flood back in. Well- filter in at this rate.

Jago and Kol exchanged glances as the Padawan went still for a moment and an expression of calm and serenity washed over the pinched and pain filled young face. "Alright- get him upright- we move towards the grand hall!" Kol ordered. He didn't answer the Jedi's plea. They had no antidote to the drug they had administered upon capturing the Jedi. At least he knew the second drug they had given the boy during the interrogation only lasted several hours or so before wearing off.

Zariya looked furious, but she obediently moved off down the corridor with another rebel in tow, to scout out the area.

Two rebels took Obi-Wan's arms over their shoulders, lifting the Padawan to his feet, wincing as a quiet cry of pain slipped through Obi-Wan's tight defences. Steadily and as fast as they could manage, they half carried, half supported the pain filled Jedi through the Imperial Palace corridors. The stairs were painful to navigate and Obi-Wan almost resigned himself to being left behind but he battled on. His Master would be there. Everything would be alright...

"Wait, wait!" Obi-Wan gasped out as they moved steadily closer to the grand hall. He could feel the presence, dim may it be, of many people in the grand hall. And one shining beacon of light. His Master was in the room, Obi-Wan was positive of it.

Jago rounded on the boy. "Keep your mouth shut! Do you want the patrols to hear us?"

"The patrols are under control," Kol said firmly. "She has that sorted. What is it?" he snapped at Obi-Wan. For some reason he found himself listening to what the Jedi wanted to say.

"There are so many people in that room- if you go in- so many will die," Obi-Wan managed as a flare of pain shot through his leg at the slightest movement. "Please reconsider."

Kol looked incredulous, Jago outraged. "We've come so far – we can't stop now!" Jago hissed urgently at his leader. "No matter what the Jedi says- this is in the interests of Malrion we're doing this for! Remember the people we will be saving by this course of action!"

Kol nodded, looking now to Obi-Wan. "I cannot do as you say boy. We must go in now."

Jago looked relieved.

The rebels took up their positions on the door, blasters trained. Kol knew that the insurance group around the other side of the hall were also ready and primed for his signal. He waited a few moments whilst his team composed themselves, nodding in turn to assure the commander they were ready. He then pulled out the tiny communication device and held it up. "Blue Wing- respond."

There was a crackle of static and the rebel on the other end gave the affirmative. They were ready.

Obi-Wan closed his eyes. Why weren't the people in the hall more alert? Why did they not know of the danger about to be inflicted on them?

_/Master! Danger! Attack!/ _Obi-Wan willed all his strength and effort into those three words as he hurled them along the bond just as Zariya and a burly rebel threw themselves at the doors to the grand hall, which flew open and the rebels spilled in.

* * *

Qui-Gon nodded as Advisor Wei made another dreary comment on the hyperspace route ways, an excited smile plastered to the man's face. At that moment, the Jedi's attention was anywhere but the banquet hall or the other half of the conversation he was meant to be upholding.

Instead, he was more inwardly occupied. Using the Force as his ally, he battered away at the Master-Padawan bond he shared with Obi-Wan, listening intently all the while for a response since the Master had received the pain stricken wave. And still nothing.

Glancing up again, Qui-Gon frowned as he noticed the balcony was now clear of guards. He looked all the way around the room- the guards had disappeared without anyone noticing. Qui-Gon tested the Force: something clearly wasn't right…

_/Master! Danger! Attack!/ _

Qui-Gon sat up straight immediately as the words lit up in his consciousness. He needed no probe to know that they were from Obi-Wan, sent in the keenest distress. Not only that- he could _feel _his Padawan- Obi-Wan was close by. That meant there was trouble. The Jedi Master's hand fell to his lightsaber and in one sure, smooth motion he rose from his chair immediately, igniting the emerald blade.

Any questions about to be asked by the stunned politicians around him as to the Jedi's behaviour- were answered as the doors to the banquet hall flew open with a bang, several stray blaster bolts flying through the air. With practised ease, Qui-Gon intercepted two before they could reach any victim, sending them crashing harmlessly in to the marble pillars, green blade humming as it swept through the air.

Frightened cries rang out as the politicians, advisors scattered to hide beneath the table – out of the way from the rebels' firing.

"First Minister- get down," Qui-Gon ordered as the rebels marched into the banquet hall, all carrying an assortment of weapons.

The First Minister growled defiantly against Qui-Gon's command, as Advisor Klone hurried to obey, shivering behind the protection of his high backed chair. "I will not Master Jedi- these rebel scum deserve what's coming to them. They've only made my job easier. Guards!"

"Your guards aren't coming," one man stepped forward. Qui-Gon faced him squarely. His skin was of an olive hue and his eyes burned a bright startling blue, gazing fiercely at Qui-Gon with a forceful intensity. Qui-Gon noticed a white jagged scar on the man's face, sweeping down from his left eye down to the centre of his cheek. He did not look very old, probably early thirty standard years.

"What?" the Fist Minister demanded, fists clenched at his sides.

Qui-Gon had to admire the man's courage in front of so many armed men and women. The Minister had to know that one Jedi could not save him if the rebels decided to shoot everyone. One Jedi…but where was Obi-Wan? The thought struck Qui-Gon- he had felt Obi-Wan's presence a moment before the attack. Pushing through the obstacles clogging the bond he kept digging at what was blocking their connection. He scanned the faces of the rebels- none were recognizable his Padawan. Had he been mistaken in feeling Obi-Wan's presence so close?

"Your guards are elsewhere. They've been sent to find us- but I believe they were misinformed as to our whereabouts," the scarred man said, taking a step forward, blaster trained on the First Minister. "Seal off the doors- bring in the prisoner first though," he ordered imperiously. "And power that down Jedi." He nodded at Qui-Gon, "kick it this way."

Qui-Gon realised there was nothing he could do as he slid his lightsaber along the ground with the Force to the lead rebel's reach. But prisoners? Who were they referring to? The First Minister looked blank as well.

Qui-Gon _felt_ him before he saw him. Supported between two rebels, face drawn tight in a mask of pain, his young Padawan was brought into the room. He could feel the boy's Force signature, though was bewildered to sense it so diminished and weak. Back in the Temple, Obi-Wan's signature was similar to a blazing beacon in the Force. Qui-Gon made to move to help the boy but three blasters immediately trained upon him.

_/Obi-Wan!/ _Qui-Gon's mind rejoiced as he saw his Padawan alive, pushing comfort and healing through their bond towards his apprentice. Concern and anxiety for the boy's welfare immediately followed the initial joy as he saw the soaked bandage around Obi-Wan's leg just above the knee. Had that been the cause of the pain he had felt through their bond? To the Master's intense relief Obi-Wan looked up as he staggered into the room, displaying a true smile that lit up in his eyes upon seeing Qui-Gon, despite his pained and haggard appearance.

Obi-Wan felt the pain lift again as his eyes landed on his tall Master, standing beside the First Minister of Malrion. He saw the joy for a moment in the older Jedi's eyes and knew it mirrored his own. His Master was here. It would be alright. His leg jerked with the movement of the rebels and he hissed sharply as the pain spiked.

"Don't move -Master Jedi," one young man scowled at Qui-Gon as he made to move to Obi-Wan's side upon hearing the slight moan of pain, weapon pointed directly at Qui-Gon's chest. "Stay exactly where you are."

"He's injured…please- let me help him," Qui-Gon said. "The wound needs to treated."

"If you want him back in one piece you're going to have to listen to what we have to say first," the scarred face man spoke up, glancing between Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan. "So this is your Master boy? The intended target. No matter." He cleared his throat. "I want all of them rounded up and on their knees in a straight line over there," he pointed.

The rebels moved closer to the politicians, weapons raised.

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan exchanged tense, worried looks. This was _not _good.

* * *

**I seem to be making a habit of these bad cliffhangers. Very sorry. Hopefully it will all be resolved in the next chapter! **

**Hope you enjoyed reading- please review if you have the time :) I love reading them- and I try to respond to them! I read that getting shot in the knee cap is very very painful. I should really apologise to Obi-Wan haha! But there shall be comforting of the injured Padawan very soon!**

**I'm also re-writing a lot of Lost and Found. Only because I realised how badly some of it was written! So I will say when that is finished!**

**Thanks!**

**AldabaranFox**


	9. Chapter 9

***Sigh* Just going to say- this chapter was very difficult to write...I had it all planned out and was like - yeah this will be easy. Nooo way. It just wouldn't sit right however I tried it :( Made me cross it did. Re-wrote it many times I did. I tried to make it credible but it just seemed wrong somehow- as if things just wouldn't happen that way. Too many loose cannons to take care of. Like it I did not. Oh well. **

**Anyway- thanks for the lovely reviews from last chapter- especially to **daisymall13 **and **peaceguardian **who gave anon reviews so I couldn't reply and thank you guys. THANKS! hehe. Hope you enjoy this new chapter :)**

**Disclaimer: As per usual, I own nothing.**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 9- Tense Negotiations**

"All of you- on the floor now!" Zariya yelled at the stupefied politicians, waving her blaster threateningly at them as they timidly hurried to obey, watched scrutinizingly by the twenty armed and determined looking rebels. Klone followed, lip curling in disgust -despite his fear- as he knelt, his silk clothing crumpling.

"You stay there _First Minister_," Kol said, his tone hardening as the man in charge of Malrion made to follow with the rest of his party. "Stand right where you are. You too, Master Jedi," Kol instructed. At a nod from his leader, Jago pointed his blaster straight at the Jedi's chest. Kol now had the emerald lightsaber strapped to his own belt. "Kneel down though," he said to both men as an afterthought.

Hands out in a placated manner, Qui-Gon nodded, eyes following his Padawan's progress as Obi-Wan was deposited, with some care, on the ground near the long dining table, leaning against one of the chairs for support as he half sat on the floor. The boy was clearly putting on a brave face, Qui-Gon could see the injury more clearly now, it was just above the knee and looked bloody and agonising. Qui-Gon wondered how Obi-Wan had remained conscious. If it wasn't treated soon…Qui-Gon didn't want to think about his apprentice possibly losing the limb or mobility.

_/Obi-Wan- are you alright?/ _the mental question went unanswered as Obi-Wan glanced blankly at his Master. It was as though he had not registered the query at all. /_Obi-Wan!/ _Qui-Gon tried harder this time, nearly a shout echoing down the bond. Still nothing as the shout was unheard.

Qui-Gon felt a sickly dread settle in his stomach, a prickling uncomfortable feeling. "What have you done to my Padawan?" he asked-voice strong and smooth, giving away no hint of concern in his voice.

"He is our bargaining chip," the young man pointing the blaster at him scoffed. "You'll listen to us if you want him back," he said to Qui-Gon.

"What do you want?" Qui-Gon inquired, careful to keep his voice neutral and undemanding. Negotiating at gunpoint never was one of his favourite situations. Especially now a dozen innocent ministers and Obi-Wan were caught up in the middle of this mess. Qui-Gon would have to tread very carefully. He could feel the anger pulsing through the rebels, making them strong, fearless. One wrong move…

"Don't listen to him- he'll only fill your head with lies!" Zariya hissed pointing her blaster at the blank faced Jedi Master. "Where's more of that…thing, that Force blocker? Use it on him before he tricks us!"

Qui-Gon's heart sank. A Force inhibitor? That's what they had used on Obi-Wan he surmised grimly. That's why his Padawan couldn't fully access the Force or their bond. Sympathy and anger flared inside him for a brief moment before he controlled himself, releasing the emotions to the Force. Cutting a Jedi off from the Force- and a young Padawan for that matter- was dangerous and reckless. Obi-Wan couldn't heal his injury and was probably lost without the comforting presence of the Force.

"We used it all on him," Jago whispered, jerking his thumb in Obi-Wan's direction. Qui-Gon with his Force attuned hearing had no difficulty in picking up what the rebels were discussing.

"That whole vial? On a boy?" Zariya snapped. "There must have been enough in that for three Jedi!"

_They used all that on Obi-Wan? _Qui-Gon thought angrily, almost ready to get to his if it was strong enough to permanently block Obi-Wan from the Force? These Force inhibitors were renowned for not having any drugs to reverse their effects on the Jedi they were inflicted upon. Very un-Jedi-like emotions were being stirred in Qui-Gon, which troubled him. /_Obi-Wan!/ _he tried again. It couldn't be permanent…

To his Master's surprise, Obi-Wan spoke up here, gritting his teeth slightly as he struggled to sit upright. "My Master is only interested…" his voice hitched as he moved and Qui-Gon could see the pain flit across the boy's face, his own heart clenching. "Jedi wish for justice to prevail," he was looking directly at the scarred man. "Let him help."

The scarred face man, who Qui-Gon now knew to be the leader of the group, absorbed the words of the Jedi Padawan, looking back at Qui-Gon curiously. "So I am beginning to see," he said, drawing frowns from the young man and woman beside him.

"You also know that needless fighting will not get you what you wish," Qui-Gon said, following on from what Obi-Wan had said, nodding his approval in his Padawan's direction. He caught the ghost of a smile that twitched at the injured boy's lips and his heart lifted slightly.

Just as Kol was about to reply, there came a thundering banging at one set of doors, to the left of the banquet hall, making several ministers jump in fright. Only the First Minister looked smug as the banging continued. "That would be my Imperial Guards," he announced. "And when they come in here you shall all be arrested pending execution."

"We'll shoot you all before they enter!" the woman promised vehemently, striding across towards the First Minister- blaster raised, the motion copied by the other rebels behind her.

Qui-Gon rose smoothly to his feet, aware that many blasters were probably pointing in his direction. _Make that nineteen… _he noted the bad odds absently with the Force. He could feel Obi-Wan's worried gaze on him and steeled himself for what he had to do. "Stop," he commanded, allowing a layer of Force persuasiveness to his voice. "If you start shooting in here- it is inevitable that the Imperial Palace guards will enter shooting."

"Then we go down fighting," the woman promised, hatred in her eyes as she stared at Qui-Gon, even rebels slowly lowered their weapons, lulled by his voice.

"Quiet!" The leader shot at the fiery woman who shrank back, stunned at the anger in her commander's voice. Confusion and rage swam across her face as she battled to contain herself from bursting out at her leader or worse shooting something.

The Force shouted a warning to Qui-Gon just in time, forewarning him of the danger. "Everybody drop!" he ordered as a split second later.

* * *

The doors that had fallen silent after the pounding, exploded inwards with the force of a small detonation. Blown right off of their hinges the metal doors blasted inwards, taking with them chunks of masonry from the door arch, shaking the whole room and throwing dust and wrecked metal at the occupants of the room who flattened themselves.

With a Force accelerated run, Qui-Gon was beside his Padawan's side in a heartbeat, covering the boy's body with his own, knowing that trying to get the boy to move would just result in more pain. As Qui-Gon did so he thrust out one arm, sending most of the debris flying backwards away from the people in the room with the Force, leaving the inhabitants shell-shocked but unharmed. Obi-Wan beneath him stayed perfectly still, his chest barely rising.

Murmuring an encouragement to his Padawan, Qui-Gon rose immediately, as Raidon and his Imperial Guard stormed into the dining room, weapons raised in a deadly formation to shoot everyone in the room.

"STOP!" cried several voices, all at once.

Qui-Gon was aware he'd said it and he recognized the other voices as well. Klone, very pale, had his hands out as Raidon entered the room. The First Minister had also shouted it. To the Master's surprise, the scar faced commander of the rebels as well had added his voice to it.

Qui-Gon saw Raidon hesitate, the order from his commander the First Minister making him call his men to a halt, though their weapons were still primed. The Captain saw the Jedi Master, then the line of ministers all kneeling on the floor and finally the band of rebels- all with their own weapons pointing at him and his men.

"Stop," Qui-Gon repeated. "There is no need for anyone here to die," his voice was calm and authoritative. He needed to be in control here. The situation was perilous at best, with both sides ready to fire upon the other. One word could sway the balance of peace and cause a shootout.

Raidon looked to the First Minister who gave no further orders on firing. At last he spoke up. "First Minister- we've found the infiltrator as you ordered," he announced. "They distracted the guards and lowered the security barriers around the Palace to allow these rebels to gain access."

Klone nearly stood up before he wilted slightly under the harsh gaze of the female rebel and stayed put. His eyes however had an enraged glaze to them now. "Who is it? Where are they Captain?" he demanded. "Bring them in!"

Qui-Gon watched the situation carefully. There could be no rash movements; not with nearly forty or so weapons pointed in different directions all at different targets. At Raidon's words the rebels had exchanged perplexed glances, Kol looking dead ahead, his weapon fixed on Raidon. The Captain nodded at Klone, backing away, never turning his back on the inhabitants of the room.

Presently, Raidon returned, two more guards beside him and held in between another figure, head down, being dragged forward into the room. Obi-Wan shifted despite the pain to have a look at who the Captain had managed to find. Which of the rebels had infiltrated the Imperial Palace?

"It can't be..." Klone whispered as the figure was revealed to them. His fists clenched and his face reddened dramatically. "In my own staff," he hissed angrily. "I will punish you for this," he promised.

Viza stared blankly at her employer, a cool expression on her face. "Will you Chief Advisor?" she asked.

Klone's face was nearly puce with rage. The ministers looked shocked, even the First Minister and Raidon couldn't seem to get their heads around the idea that she was associated with the rebels. Qui-Gon exhaled slowly. He had had a feeling it was the Chief Advisor's assistant. How well she had managed to play her role. Now she stood before them, her hands were bound tightly in front of her and her ankles loosely chained, just enough so she could shuffle slowly.

"Put her over there- we will deal with her later," the First Minister said coldly. "I want these rebels dealt with now."

Now feeling it was time to speak, Qui-Gon moved towards the centre of the room to where Raidon was standing. "To talk this over- everyone needs to lower their weapons," he said, hoping the Captain would trust his judgement. He looked over at the leader of the rebels, indicating he do the same.

"We're here to stop this corrupt Government from ruining Malrion any further! I will not back down over this- not now!" Kol said heatedly, as Viza, now the Imperial Palace's prisoner was moved towards where Obi-Wan was seated on the floor, the rebels' prisoner. The Captain's eyes widened as he caught sight of the apprentice for the first time, looking at the bloody leg injury.

"Corrupt Government?" the First Minister shot back glaring at Kol. "What evidence do you have? What right do you have to storm my Palace and force me to hand over power?"

Weapons were immediately raised again, each side eyeing the other with suspicion and disgust. The ministers kneeling on the ground looked to each other. Corruption? Obi-Wan watched the goings on in silence. With his weak connection to the Force he could still feel the animosity in the room. It was nearly stifling. He wondered bleakly how he and his Master were going to get out of this one. Qui-Gon's expression was grave as he acted as mediated between the two sides, his stance tense as he tried to persuade both groups to disarm before talks could begin.

Kol and Raidon looked at each other as their sides were equally prepared to fight the other.

Eventually Raidon spoke up after Qui-Gon. "It is my job to defend the First Minister. If laying down our weapons will cause you to do the same, then we will."

"You are naïve," the young female rebel hissed as Klone equally voice his disapproval.

"You will not Captain! Don't surrender!"

"We should do as the Jedi Master says," Kol said in a cold voice. "Perhaps there is a better way than killing to resolve this fight. In the end- if Malrion is free- we have done our job."

Qui-Gon nodded. "Talks can begin if there are no weapons," he said. "Advisor Wei, please will you assist me?"

The startled minister stood up, surprised at being named. Qui-Gon gave him instructions to collect the weapons from both sides, few which were not given willing and were met with stern words from both Raidon and Kol. Trusting the bumbling young minister to be impartial, the Master watched as all were disarmed. At least that relieved some tension. When this was done, they were deposited away from the two sides out of reach.

"Now gentlemen and women, the talks-"

"We have no need for talking! We hired Jedi to overlook these elections- not to jumpstart a revolution!" Klone snapped. "This whole situation is preposterous. Captain Raidon- arrest these rebels this instance!"

"I have the evidence needed," Viza spoke up from where she was standing beside Obi-Wan. "Documents clearly proving that this Government has forged thousands of votes in the current elections. Documents showing how this Government has been stealing from its own people to fund its life of decadence," her arm swept in the direction of the elaborate dining hall. "How they stole from the people and sold Malrion's resources off- world, reaping in the profits for themselves. And I have just sent these documents to the Justice Secretary. He was most pleased to receive them. I also have a copy in a data chip in my pocket for anyone who would care to look."

Her announcement was met with stunned silence. Raidon glanced over at Klone and the First Minister. "Master Jedi," he looked at Qui-Gon. "I know you can sense the truth. Does she speak it?"

"She does. I have seen the documents," Qui-Gon answered. The Force told him Viza had said no lie. She had sent the documents that they had both looked over the day before.

The ministers on the floor buzzed with indignation and confusion. Many had not even been aware of the treachery in the upper ranks, being lowly officials. Raidon looked astonished at the news, his men breaking rank to look between themselves. Even the rebels were silent.

Klone choked with rage. "How dare you!" he shouted, staggering to his feet. "I will kill you for you disloyalty!" reaching into his robes.

Qui-Gon suddenly realised he had no time to stop the two things he knew were about to happen. _/OBI-WAN! The Chief Advisor!/ _His mental shout echoed along the bond just as Klone pulled a small blaster that had been concealed on his person and fired several shots at Viza.

* * *

Seated on the floor, Obi-Wan had a good view of Klone's every move. Suddenly Qui-Gon's voice shouted through his consciousness, leaving him reeling in shock. He had heard his Master! Following his Master's orders, the Padawan watched as Klone's hand plunged into the front of his robes and Obi-Wan had a horrible feeling of what was to come. Reacting on pure instinct, just as Klone withdrew the small blaster, Obi-Wan turned onto his good side, yanking Viza downwards and out of the line of fire, rolling over as he did so.

Intercepting the second thing he had seen, Qui-Gon caught the enraged rebel leader, Kol who immediately shouted a hoarse yell of "No!" as the shots went off, launching himself at Klone in an attempt to get at the Chief Advisor. He had no need; Raidon tackled the advisor to the floor, sending the blaster skittering away across the marble floor, pinning the man down. The Imperial Guard hesitated, still unsure of whose side they should be on but Raidon shouted at them to stand down.

"Let me at him!" Kol yelled as Qui-Gon effectively used the Force to keep the man where he was, preventing him from attacking the Klone. The Jedi Master held up a warning hand to the rebels who looked to move on the Jedi and they stopped, unsure of the Jedi Master's powers. "He shot her- he shot her!" Kol's voice cracked. Jago and Zariya exchanged stunned looks at their leader's anger and pain. What did this woman mean to him?

"I'm alright," a shaky voice said. Kol stopped struggling, his head sagging in relief. "But I don't think the boy is…"

Qui-Gon let him up felt his stomach plummet horribly. _/Obi-Wan? Obi-Wan!/_ Knowing it was safe to release Kol, Qui-Gon did so and instantly, both men were across the room. Viza was lying awkwardly on the floor, propped up on one elbow, Obi-Wan draped across her, unmoving. Kol dropped to knees beside Viza, urgently looking for any signs of injury on her body. She was indeed unharmed and to everyone's surprise Kol pulled her into a tight hug as she was released from Obi-Wan's protective hold.

Exceedingly carefully, Qui-Gon lifted his Padawan off of Viza, using the Force to probe for any injuries. The blast bolt to the knee sang with supressed agony in the Force, but there was something else Qui-Gon noted with dread. As he turned Obi-Wan to face him, Qui-Gon saw the blood flowing down the young boy's face, following the contours of his jaw.

"Force," Qui-Gon muttered a curse. "Obi-Wan? Obi-Wan!" his tone was urgent as the boy lolled unconscious in his arms. _/Obi-Wan respond!/_

Ripping the hem of his tunic with brute strength, Qui-Gon stemmed the flow, noticing with some relief the wound was shallow, a single slash near his right temple where a stray bolt had clipped the side of Obi-Wan's head.

"M-Master?" Obi-Wan's eyes opened sluggishly, blinking owlishly up at his Master, in whose arms he lay. "I'm tired…" the boy muttered. "And...I tried to with the bolts...almost deflected..."

"I know," Qui-Gon soothed, relieved the boy was now awake. "You did well." Gently, he moved away the hair from the wound, pushing as much healing Force as he dared across their bond and into his Padawan.

Obi-Wan's eyes widened suddenly as he became more alert. "I can _feel_ you," he whispered. "I feel you…the Force." His voice was full of wonder. _/Master?/_

_/I can hear you my Padawan/_ Qui-Gon answered back, just as delighted as he felt the young Jedi bask in the warmth of the full Force as it returned to him. _/You're going to be fine/ _he promised as Obi-Wan nodded slowly, trustingly.

* * *

**There you go...at least no dreadful cliffhanger right? Something to be grateful for! Hopefully I made up for the bad chapter with the lovely Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan moment at the end there- does that make up for it? Sorry! **

**Next chapter- which I *hope* will not be as bad as this one will be up early next week. This is actually nearly over. Omg. Anyone up for a trilogy?**

**Review? Thank you :)**

**AldabaranFox**


	10. Epilogue

**I'm sad to report this is the last chapter. It's taken me a while – due to my terrible lack of updating in the last few months – but recently I pulled my act together and tried to write a story you would all enjoy. I hope you have! **

**I got this chapter up earlier than expected! Happy Valentines Day for tomorrow!**

**A big thank you to my very faithful readers- peaceguardian, where the wind blows, peanutmeg, Selene476 for reviewing so nicely! Also to any anonymous reviewers who I can't thank with PMs thanks for reading and reviewing! :D**

**Disclaimer: Nothing I own of the Star Wars franchise do I.**

**Thanks again! And enjoy!**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 10- Concluding Act**

_(In the Banquet Hall)_

Kol looked over at the Jedi Master gently wiping the blood from the face of the young boy. Not only had the boy saved Kol's life, but now Viza's. How could such a young boy be so selfless- putting himself in danger for those who were not his kin or even his allies? The rebel leader could not fathom the notion.

"Keep the Chief Advisor down," Raidon ordered two of his Imperial Guard who hurried to obey his order. "First Minister- please also stay where you are." Seething, the Malrion First Minister nodded curtly. With the majority of the room now turned against him, including his own Guard and many ministers there was nothing else he could really do.

Qui-Gon rose to his feet, making sure Obi-Wan was more comfortable, shrugging off his own cloak to cushion his Padawan. /_Stay here for a moment_/ he instructed Obi-Wan, who nodded along with a verbal agreement through their bond. Qui-Gon could feel the boy clinging to their mental link as though it were a lifeline for a drowning man.

"You are the leader of the rebels?" Qui-Gon said to Kol who stood up, helping Viza to her feet.

Kol nodded. "I am," he said confidently. Viza stood at his side, watching him closely. The other rebels had drawn closer to their leader, watching carefully the proceedings. Now that the Chief Advisor and First Minister had been apprehended…did this mean…?

"I believe the people of Malrion will not be pleased when they learn of their Government's deception," Qui-Gon said to the inhabitants of the room as Captain Raidon walked over to him. "I advise letting the Justice Sector take control of matters for now, until a new election can take place."

Advisor Wei rose shakily. "But what about us? The Government steps down but what happens to the ordinary ministers?" There were murmurings of agreement from the ministers and advisors still kneeling on the floor where they had been placed by the rebels, despite there not being any weapons trained on them. Several still looked shell shocked at the revelations and the sudden act of violence by the Chief Advisor.

"It is up to the people. If you can prove your innocence then there should be no harm," Kol spoke up. "I do not want to run Malrion. I want a fair Malrion- one for the people to fairly decide what they want- who to run for Government. I have done my job in freeing Malrion."

"But-" Zariya spoke up. "I thought-"

"We are not politicians, we do not know how to run a planet," Kol interjected. "We must let the people decide." Viza smiled warmly at his side. "I want no more blood to be spilt. Zane's memory has been avenged and Malrion free. I am satisfied."

Qui-Gon nodded at Kol. "That is wisely said," he agreed. "Your brother would be proud." The Jedi Master's lips twitched at the identical looks of shock on both Kol and Viza's faces at his correct deduction. "Now, I must speak with the Jedi Council. I am sure they will be supportive of the new government to be formed on Malrion. I also need to get my Padawan to a medical clinic urgently."

"We will have the First Minister and Chief Advisor under house arrest until the allegations can be proved," Raidon volunteered. "The Justice Sector will be suitable to watch the affairs for a couple of weeks until the new elections. We have expert facilities here to treat your Padawan."

"Thank you Captain," Qui-Gon offered a smile. Whilst Raidon and Kol continued talking, Qui-Gon crossed back over to where Obi-Wan was slouched against the table and crouched down beside the young boy. A little bit of colour was now back in Obi-Wan's cheeks now he had the use of the Force to help deal with the pain.

"Come on Obi-Wan- we need to get your injuries seen to," Qui-Gon said gently, rousing the boy from the light healing trance the Master had helped him into.

Obi-Wan nodded slowly, still basking in the warmth of their bond as Qui-Gon came down to his height level. "I can… walk Master..." he said determinedly despite the flitting pain Qui-Gon could feel emanating from behind his Padawan's shields.

Qui-Gon raised an eyebrow. "I think _not_ my Padawan." He was also concerned by the heat radiating from the boy's forehead as he held the back of his palm to it. Fever was setting in already. Shock could follow soon after if he didn't act swiftly.

"Then what- " To Obi-Wan's horror he saw what his Master was about to do and had no power to stop it. Easily, Qui-Gon scooped up the young boy into his arms- his own cloak and all, mindful of Obi-Wan's injured leg and head, his actions smooth and steady so as to not jar the limb and cause his apprentice further pain. Using the Force to deaden the nerve endings was helping somewhat.

Obi-Wan didn't care about the pain; his cheeks flamed a bright red in embarrassment. He could feel the entire room's eyes upon him as Qui-Gon held him carefully to his broad chest and rose to his feet. "Master please!" Obi-Wan pleaded, hiding his face in his Master's tunic. "Don't carry me!" He switched back to talking through their bond. /_Master! It's embarrassing!_/

"I'm not going to argue on this point Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon retorted, ignoring the pleas as Raidon indicated for the two Jedi to follow him, Viza coming along too. Kol was busy talking to the rest of the rebels. "Your injury is severe. Any more pressure on your leg could worsen the situation." He tightened his grip on the precious bundle in his arms. /_I'm not letting you out of my sight for a while Padawan/ _He added, projecting the worry he had felt for his young charge over the past few days through their bond.

Overwhelmed by the feelings of care and concern radiating from his Master, Obi-Wan chose to nod meekly, still refusing to look anywhere else but at the comforting, familiar tunic covering his Master's shoulder. Ok, perhaps he wasn't going to admit that he was _slightly _enjoying the indulgence.

* * *

Qui-Gon entered the medical bay, his concerned levels ranking up a notch as Obi-Wan had fallen silent in his arms. Despite Qui-Gon's every care, the slightest touch to the limb sent pain shooting through his Padawan and Qui-Gon could see the tell-tale signs as Obi-Wan's jaw clenched and blue eyes blinked moisture away. No matter what, Obi-Wan made no sound.

Two healers looked up as Qui-Gon, with Obi-Wan in his arms, Raidon and Viza all entered the medical bay. Upon seeing a bloodied and injured Obi-Wan they were jerked into action, quickly leading Qui-Gon into the operating area, laying Obi-Wan gently on a bed.

"Padawan you will be fine," Qui-Gon promised, standing close to the bed as another couple of healers entered the room, preparing to treat Obi-Wan's range of injuries.

Obi-Wan nodded once, eyeing the healers warily as they prepared sedatives and equipment for the operation.

"Master Jedi- you will have to step out," the head healer said, a mask over her face as she and her fellows prepared to remove the blaster bolt.

Qui-Gon looked as though he was going to resist the healer's quiet but firm command, but then felt Obi-Wan's thoughts float into his mind. Inwardly he smiled at the feeling he had surprisingly missed during the last couple of days. /_Go Master- you said you had to update the Council?_/

/_I will be back as soon as you are awake_/ Qui-Gon sent back, taking one last look at his small Padawan before he was sedated for the operation, sending an extra wave of Force suggested sleep towards Obi-Wan.

/_Yes…Master/_

Qui-Gon did smile at the sleepy thought and left the room where Viza and Raidon were politely waiting for him.

"How is he?" Raidon asked.

"He has a blaster wound to the upper knee and a gash on his forehead," Qui-Gon said. "All are treatable."

"My -I mean Leader Kol sends his best wishes to Obi-Wan," Viza spoke up. "Apparently Obi-Wan saved my brother from being shot as they entered the Palace," she informed Qui-Gon, finally admitting to the connection between her and the rebel leader. Qui-Gon still marvelled at how Kol had allowed his sister so deep into enemy territory.

However, Qui-Gon was surprised at what she said. Obi-Wan had gone out of his way to save the person he perceived as his enemy? Pride rose up in his chest for the young boy that lay behind the closed medical door. "Captain, is there a way I can send a communication to Coruscant? I must update the Council on the events here."

"I will be happy to oblige," Raidon said, "Please follow me."

* * *

"My Masters," Qui-Gon bowed to the holographic image of the Jedi Council seated before him as he prepared to update them. Raidon had brought up back to Klone's now deserted quarters to make use of the secure connection for the transmission off-planet.

"Master Jinn, news you have for us concerning Malrion do you?" Yoda asked, leaning forwards.

"Yes. It seems that not everything was as we first thought," Qui-Gon started. "Evidence has been brought forward of corruption and vote-rigging with the present Government."

A surprised murmur rose up around the Council. Malrion had always been considered a strong planet in the Republic with a stable economy and government. This news had come as a revelation to those living outside the planet. It would probably come as a surprise, though not an unwelcome one to many on Malrion, Qui-Gon thought ruefully.

He then proceeded to tell the Council all that had happened in the last few days, from Obi-Wan's kidnapping to the occurrence in the Imperial Palace banquet hall an hour before. Intermittently, a Council Member would ask a question, or have Qui-Gon clarify an event.

"What now is to occur on Malrion?" Mace Windu asked, steepling his fingers together as he surveyed Qui-Gon.

"It has been suggested that the Justice Sector take over until a new Government is formed," Qui-Gon answered. "They are currently reviewing the evidence that has been provided by the Chief Advisor's assistant, the Chief Advisor, First Minister and a couple of senior aides are under house arrest."

The Masters nodded in agreement, quiet murmuring as they conferred, the blue holograms wavering as Qui-Gon waited patiently for a response. Despite his schooled features, his mind still dwelt on his Padawan in the medical wing.

"Agreed the Council has. To stay on Malrion you are, until a new Government is formed." Yoda commanded. "Offer your help if necessary you shall."

"But where is your Padawan?" Mace Windu asked concerned, leaning forward in his seat, remembering the last transmission he had received from a rather frantic Qui-Gon. This Qui-Gon reporting calmly to the Council looked more at ease, though Mace noted the slight tension in the shoulders. "And is that blood on your tunic?"

"Obi-Wan was taken by the rebels and in a battle with the Palace Guard was shot defending the leader from harm," Qui-Gon replied. "It is not my blood. He is currently being treated in the Palace medical wing. The injury is not life-threatening," Qui-Gon picked up on the relief shown both by Mace and Master Yoda.

"Good to hear this is," Yoda's ears lifted. "Stay and heal with your Padawan you shall."

"May the Force be with you Masters," Qui-Gon bowed his head.

"May the Force be with you," they intoned back, before the hologram shook once and then disappeared.

Exhaling, Qui-Gon rolled his shoulders slightly to relieve the tension. He glanced at his chrono, surprised that nearly an hour had passed during his session with the Council. He wondered how Obi-Wan was doing. Accessing the bond so easily, all he felt was peace emanating from his Padawan's end. The boy was still sedated it seemed.

* * *

Leaving the room, Qui-Gon headed back to the medical wing. Imperial Guards were stationed along most of the corridors as he passed. All recognized the Jedi Master and made no move to stop him as he strode past, lightsaber attached to his belt again after Kol had returned it apologetically after the arrest of Klone and the First Minister.

Arriving back in the medical wing, Qui-Gon spotted the head healer was already waiting for him.

"Master Jinn," she bowed her head in greeting, Qui-Gon copying the gesture, hoping he didn't seemed rude as he hurried to ask her about Obi-Wan.

"Your apprentice is out of surgery," the healer Liu said in her quiet way. "We believe it was a success. With time he should regain full use of his leg and his head injury was shallow and not of great concern. We have treated him for mild fever and shock. He should wake presently."

"He is already awake," Qui-Gon noted, lips quirking as he felt Obi-Wan's lethargic thoughts humming softly in the back of his mind, alerting him to the fact his Padawan had awoken from the sedative he had been placed under for the operation. He sent back a wave of support and love. "Thank you for everything," he told the healer sincerely.

"It was our pleasure," Liu said, standing back to allow the Jedi Master into the room where his Padawan lay.

Qui-Gon entered the room, eyes immediately captured by the young boy that lay on the bed in the centre of the room, leg wrapped up tightly in stiff bandages. A bacta patch had been placed over the slash on his temple. Obi-Wan visibly brightened as his Master entered the room and strode over to his bedside.

"Master," the Padawan smiled as Qui-Gon reached him.

"How are you feeling?" Qui-Gon asked, noticing the various monitors Obi-Wan was remotely hooked up to, the numbers and lines flashing across screens.

"They are for show Master," Obi-Wan waved nonchalantly at the various items of technical equipment. "I feel much better."

"I'm glad," Qui-Gon said sincerely, seating himself carefully on the side of the bed, making sure it was the opposite side to Obi-Wan's injured leg. "You gave me a fright. On several occasions may I add."

Obi-Wan ducked his head. "I apologise Master," he said quickly. "I should have been more-"

"Don't apologise," Qui-Gon interjected gently, raising Obi-Wan's head with the crook of his finger under the boy's chin so they were facing each other again. "If anything- I should be apologising for not keeping you safe as I should have."

"But Master," Obi-Wan protested earnestly, unwilling to let his Master apologise for something – in the Padawan's opinion- was blatantly not his fault.

"I heard you behaved like an exemplary Jedi whilst in the rebel's control," Qui-Gon said, brushing back a roguish lock of hair from his Padawan's face. "I am proud of you Obi-Wan." The older Jedi practically felt their bond sing as Obi-Wan glowed at the praise.

"I thought I'd failed," Obi-Wan said quietly after a while. "I didn't know what to do. I needed you."

"And I you," Qui-Gon replied, just as softly. "Your place is by my side. It did not feel right without you Padawan," he insisted, watching the boy's cheeks flame red again, this time with pleasure at his Master's loving words.

"Thank you Master," Obi-Wan said, a smile tugging at his lips as he pushed himself upright with both arms and wrapped them around Qui-Gon's middle.

Surprised, but happy, Qui-Gon hugged his Padawan to him, gently smoothing the top of Obi-Wan's hair in a soothing gesture. "I spoke to the Council," he said as they broke apart.

"Yes?" Obi-Wan waited expectantly for a reply.

"We are to stay here until the new Government is formed," Qui-Gon told him. "_You_ are to _rest_ and recover," he prodded Obi-Wan lightly in the chest for emphasis.

"Yes Master," Obi-Wan giggled obediently as he squirmed away from tickling fingers as his Master sensed the challenging nature of his apprentice. "Master please!" he begged for relief, mindful of his leg.

Relenting, Qui-Gon allowed his Padawan to settle again, a grin on his face. "Well, let us hope our next mission is not nearly so dangerous," he said at length.

"But Master where's the excitement in that?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Seek excitement a Jedi does not," Qui-Gon reminded his apprentice, with a gentle tap to the nose in admonishment.

"I'll try not to," Obi-Wan smiled.

"Do or do not- there is no try," both Jedi said together, identical grins on their faces as they laughed together. Somehow, both knew they were going to be alright as they sat together, surrounded by the company of the Force and their bond.

* * *

**Does that satisfy the mush needed between the two? I hope it does! Thank you everybody who has stuck with the story (despite my terrible lack of updates at first!) Big thanks to everyone who has reviewed, alerted or added to their favourite :) it made me very happy- and I'm glad you all enjoyed it!**

**I have already begun planning the next stage of Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan's adventures so I hope you are all looking forward to it! Planning had commenced and it should be appearing soon. The title is In the Depths of my Mind. Just to let you know and anticipate! **

**Thanks again for the time you've spent reading this!**

**AldabaranFox**


End file.
